DUSHANBE, December 11, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Russian government’s decision on possible reduction of quotas for attraction of foreign manpower will seriously affect Tajikistan and may aggravate domestic policy issues in the country, deputy head of the Social-Democratic Party (SDPT) Shokirjon Hakimov said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, some 1 million Tajik seasonal workers travel to Russia each year and their remittances keep many families at home above the poverty line and help to alleviate the stress caused by a lack of domestic job opportunities.

“The situation is aggravated by the fact that the government has not yet taken efficient measures to create necessary measures for employment of labor migrants inside the country,” said Hakimov, “This may lead to aggravation of social and political situation in the country, deterioration of the crime situation and decline in living standards.”  Unemployed people may be involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activities, according to him.     

As a way out of the situation, he suggests that the government should support proposals of civil society and entrepreneurs, especially representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to give them more opportunities to expand their operations and make their contribution to employment of the population inside the country. 

“Besides, the government should take efforts to ensure improvement of work of the real sector of economy,” said the expert, “As alternative, we should lay legal foundation of labor migration cooperation with Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries.”   

We will recall that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on December 9 signed an order providing for the possibility of reduction of quotas for attraction of foreign manpower “in connection with situation on labor market.”