DUSHANBE, April 3, Asia-Plus - Preparation for a May 24 meeting of the president with representatives of intelligentsia, clerics and local authorities was one of major topics of an April 2 working session of the government presided by President Emomali Rahmon,

Presidential press service said that President Rahmon had noted that according to the preliminary data, people in Tajikistan annually spend more than $1 billion on various family events and festivities that causes serious losses to family budgets.

“The head of state stressed that the main objective of putting such events in order is not in impeding continuation of national traditions but in preventing excessive expenses and promoting further increase in living quality of the population,” Abdufattoh Sharipov, a spokesman for the president said.  

Rahmon called on officials to show initiative and set an example in this case, according to presidential press service.  

He also set specific tasks and ordered to set up special groups from among senior representatives of local governments, intelligentsia and clerics to study public opinion, collect proposals and wishes from the population, as well as study national traditions of Muslim countries and propagate goals of the government.  

Emomali Rahmon also pointed to the necessity of making activities of media and agencies for family and women’s affairs in this direction more active.