DUSHANBE , February 15, Asia-Plus - Monthly wage rate is increasing in Tajikistan .  However it remains one of the lowest among the CIS states. 

According to figures submitted by Tajikistan ’s State Committee for Statistics, the highest average monthly wage in material production sphere is of specialists working with the telecommunications sector.  As of January 1 2006 an average monthly wage in this sector has amounted to 482 Somonis.  

In the material production sphere, the lowest average monthly wage was reported in the forestry (48.92 Somonis) and agrarian (52.05 Somonis) sectors.  

Last year, an average monthly wage of employees in the construction sector was 315.64 Somonis, in the industrial sector – 199.17 Somonis and in the transportation sector – 174.69 Somonis.  

As a whole, in the material production sphere, an average monthly wage in December last year was 111.09 Somonis, which is 1.2 times higher compared to the same period of 2004.  

Among the non-material production spheres the highest average monthly wage last year was reported in the financial sector.  As of January 1 2006 an average monthly wage in this sector has amounted to 521.34 Somonis.    

As a whole, in the non-material production sphere, an average monthly wage in December last year amounted to 95.19 Somonis, which is 1.5 time higher compared to December 2004.  

The source in the State Committee for Statistics has told Asia-Plus that during 2005, an average monthly wage of employees working for hire in all sectors amounted to 85.99 Somonis, and the minimum monthly wage of employees working for hire amounted to 12 Somonis.  

In the territorial cross section the highest average monthly wage rate was reported in Dushanbe – 168.05 Somonis.  In Gorno Badakhshan, an average monthly wage rate last year was 72.56 Somonis, in Sughd province – 69.22 Somonis, Khatlon province – 61.63 Somonis and in the districts subordinate to the center (RRP) – 101.10 Somonis.