DUSHANBE, November 25, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s foreign currency comes not only from remittances sent by Tajiks working abroad; it also comes from dried fruit exports, Amirjon Ubaidulloyev, the head of the Finance Department at President’s Executive Office, said here on November 25 while speaking at the 2015 Regional Economic Outlook Presentation.

According to him, Tajikistan last year earned 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from dried fruit exports.

“The fall in the international prices of primary aluminum and cotton have affected the country’s economy to a certain extent,” said Ubaidulloyev.  “But Tajikistan’s exports include not only primary aluminum and cotton fiber; Tajikistan now exports other goods as well.”

Certain signs of recovery of Tajikistan’s economy can be observed, Tajik official said, pointing to the necessity of carrying out the planned reforms.

We will recall that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative in Tajikistan Mr. Aidyn Bibolov delivered the 2015 Regional Economic Outlook Presentation in Dushanbe today.

The presentation was attended by high-level government officials, National Bank, IFIs, diplomatic community, business community, think tanks, mass media, and other stakeholders in Tajikistan.

The Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan Mr.  Jamshed Nurmahmadzoda provided his remarks on the presentation.

The presentation has focused on the recent developments and the economic outlook for the region and Tajikistan.

Key takeaways from the presentation: a foray of external shocks is weighing on growth, budgets and currencies; these shocks are likely to be long lasting, requiring policy adjustment; coherent macroeconomic policy framework will help to preserve social expenditures while protecting fiscal and debt sustainability in the long run; exchange rate flexibility will preserve external buffers, but it needs to be accompanied by strengthened financial supervision to safeguard financial stability; and structural reforms are needed to boost weakening medium-term growth prospects.

This event was a part of the outreach by the IMF Resident Representative Office in Tajikistan.