DUSHANBE, July 22, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s gold and currency reserves rose 10.4 percent in a year to June 30, 2015, reaching 2.8 billion somoni (equivalent to approximately 450 million U.S. dollars), the head of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), Jamshed Nourmahmadzoda, told journalists in Dushanbe on July 21.

Nourmahmadzoda noted that the foreign currency reserves make up 15 percent of the country’s gold and currency reserves and the precious metal reserves make up 85 percent of the country’s gold and currency reserves.

“We are working to increase the share of the foreign currency reserves,” Nourmahmadzoda said, noting that the share of the foreign currency reserves will be going up in the structure of the country’s gold and currency reserves in the future.

“At the same time, the National Bank plans to establish direct contact with domestic gold producers,” the NBT head said.

He further added that they planned to increase the country’s gold and currency reserves by 22.4 percent in a year to December 31, 2015.

Meanwhile the NBT noted in May this year that as of April 30, 2015, Tajikistan’s gold and currency reserves amounted to more than 3.15 billion somoni, which was equivalent to 503.52 million U.S. dollars.