DUSHANBE, December 26, 2008, Asia-Plus  - The 16th session of the Dushanbe legislature (Majlis) of the third convocation that was held on December 25 has approved the city budget for 2009.

According to Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor, the revenue part of the city budget stands at 650.7 million somoni (equivalent to 191.38 million dollars), which is 68.7 percent more than the revenue part of the city budget for 2008.  The expenditure part of the 2009 Dushanbe budget stands at 395 million somoni, which is 69 percent more than in 2008.

Housing and communal services spending will account for 58.6 percent (231.3 million somoni) of budget allocations, while social spending will account for 31.2 percent (124.4 million somoni), the spokesman said.

The budget earmarks 6.2 million somoni for purchase of municipal vehicles and 19.1 million somoni for purchase of public transport.

In 2009, the budget projects expenditure of 27.3 million somoni in the transportation-communications sector and 3 million somoni is expected to be spent on rehabilitation power transmission lines.

The budget also earmarks 5.1 million somoni for subsidies to pay passenger transport services of persons entitled to a benefit, Saidov said.