DUSHANBE, February 28, Asia-Plus -- By president’s decree the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MoAEP) has been reorganized and renamed the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).  

According to presidential press service, President Emomali Rahmon on February 27 signed a decree ordering to reorganize the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and renaming it the Ministry of Agriculture.  

The decree also orders to establish the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) under the Government of Tajikistan.  The committee will perform functions on protection of environment, forestry and reserves as well functions previously carried out by the agency for hydrometeorology.  

Appropriate changes were also made to president’s decree of November 30, 2006.  We will recall that President Rahmon ordered on November 30, 2006 that his administration be reduced by roughly one-third.  Presidential decree wiped out 10 ministries and 16 state committees and government agencies.  They include the ministries of Security, Communications, Trade and Economy, Agriculture, Emergencies, and Energy. They will either be turned into state committees -- like the Security Ministry -- or their duties folded into other entities.