DUSHANBE, January 17, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has raised the portfolio of preferential loans for unemployed people for this year by 30 percent – from 11 million somoni in 2011 to 13.3 million somoni, Nourullo Mahmaliyev, the director of the Agency for Social Protection, Employment of the Population and Migration at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 17.

According to him, these preferential loans are intended for unemployed people and labor migrants who have returned home.  “Last year, such loans were provided to 307 labor migrants,” Mahmaliyev said.

The amount of the loan depends on type business the loan recipient is going to do.  “If the loan recipient wants to be engaged in production sphere he may apply for a loan of more than 7,000 somoni,” said Tajik official.  “If it is small business, he may apply for up to 4,500 somoni.”

In 2011, the ministry reportedly provided preferential (interest-free) loans to some 3,500 unemployed people, he said.

Mahmaliyev added that official statistics show that during the last year 735,031 Tajik citizens, including 81,774 women, migrated to Russia and 2,327 Tajik nationals were deported from the Russian Federation over the past year.