DUSHANBE, January 10, 2009, Asia-Plus -- As of December 31, 2008, Tajikistan’s state investment portfolio has contained 51 projects for a total amount of 5.19 billion somoni, according to the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property (GosComInvest).

According to the preliminary data, the direct foreign investment funds have mounted to 3.236 billion somoni, the source at GosComInvest said.

To ensure more attraction of direct foreign investments to enhance the real sector of the economy 21 cooperation agreements were worked out last year.  All of them were ratified by the country’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament.

As of December 31, 2008, the total number of registered small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country has been more than 16,300.

In 2008, the national budget received 24.8 million from privatization of state-owned property, which is 104 percent of the 2007 level or 923 million somoni more, the source said.