DUSHANBE, January 13, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption should improve its work, known Tajik economist Hojimuhamamd Umarov said in an interview with Asia-Plus, commenting on criticism from the chief prosecutor in activity of the anticorruption agency.

According to him, the fight against corruption should be conducted not only among teachers and medical workers but also among officials and the law enforcement authorities.

“Trade, housing and communal services, natural-gas-distributing sector as well as customs services are also not properly covered by anticorruption activities,” Dr. Umarov said, adding that efforts of the anticorruption agency to reduce corruption level among medical workers have also not yielded proper results.

“Therefore, the agency should strengthen its preventive mission and intensify work with the population,” said Umarov, “Officers from the anticorruption agency should meet more frequently with the public that may openly speak about problems facing society.”

The anticorruption agency officers even do not cooperate with experts that could recommend them effective ways of combating corruption, the researcher said.