DUSHANBE, July 20, Asia-Plus - President Rahmonov has noted that a total amount of pension payment debts have reached 16.4 million Somonis (equivalent to more than US$4.9 million) as of July 1.

Emomali Rahmonov presided over a working meeting with participation of senior representatives from the government and president’s office on July 19.  The meeting focused on measures to strengthen the level of population’s social security and improving living standards of veterans and invalids of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, presidential press service reported. 

Telling the meeting, President Rahmonov noted that that government’s resolutions aimed at strengthening the level of population''s social security were implemented improperly.  During the meeting it was noted that untimely payment of enterprises and organizations of social taxes coming to Fund for Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan was among the main reasons for rising pension payment debts in the country.  

As of the beginning of this year, enterprises and organizations have owed 69.5 million Somonis to Fund for Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan.  Of this amount, a 35.6 million Somonis debt has resulted from nonpayment by investors of taxes during cotton-picking campaigns in 2003-2005.  

Rahmonov ordered relevant organizations to take measures to tackle this problem and improve living standards of veterans of war.  The Ministry of Finance, in particular, is to consider the possibility of using various sources of financing, including presidential reserve fund, for paying annual amounts of personal and social pensions in accordance with the country’s laws.  

The Prosecutor-General’s Office, the National bank of Tajikistan (NBT), the Supreme and Higher Economic Courts are to take measures aimed at settlement of the pension debts problems.  The Ministry of Labor and Social Security jointly with the Ministry of Finance and other ministries is to work out effective measures to reform the country’s pension system.  

According to data of Tajikistan ’s “Amonatbonk” (Tajik state savings bank), a total amount of pensions and allowances paid in January-June 2006 has amounted to 87,851,000 Somonis.  A number of pensioners in the country has increased by 2,541 people over the same six-month period and amounted to 494,783 people as of July 1.