DUSHANBE, November 11, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) has approved the national budget for 2011.

A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by its chairman, Shukurjon Zuhurov, was held on November 11.

Presenting the bill on the national budget for 2011, Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov said that revenues are projected to be 8.3 billion somoni and expenditures are estimated at 8.6 billion somoni.  The budget deficit amounts to 300 million somoni.

According to him, the budget indicators reflect the economic and social development of the country.  Social spending will account for 48 percent of budget allocations, which is more than 4.1 billion somoni.  “It is 31.2 percent, or 857.6 million somoni, more than it was projected by this year’s budget,” the minister said.

The budget projects expenditure of 593 million somoni on the health sector, which is 46.8 percent more than this year.

In 2011, 293 million somoni are expected to be spent for development of culture and sports and 1.4 billion somoni will be spent for payment of wages and pensions.  40 million somoni will be spent on development of science

The budget earmarks 1.02 billion somoni for energy sector, 1 billion somoni for transport and communications sector, and 300 million somoni for agrarian sector.

The budget projects to increase expenditures on defense, public order and foreign policy by at least 25 percent, Najmiddinov noted.

“GDP growth is projected to rise 6.5 percent next year to 30 billion somoni, while inflation rate is expected to be 9 percent,” the minister said, noting that the exchange rate of the dollar against the somoni is expected to be 1:4.8 in 2011.