DUSHANBE, March 25, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- During a visit to the northern Sughd province, President Rahmon has again called on the country’s population to stock up on basic food products for at least two years.

According to the presidential press service, his call came during an address to a meeting of regional administrators in the city of Qairoqqum Thursday afternoon.

On the current socioeconomic situation in the province, President Rahmon noted that although the revenue part of Sughd’s budget for 2010 was overfulilled by 18 percent, the province failed to fulfill targets on collection of four types of taxes, and therefore, the budget received 125 million somoni less.

In this connection, the president ordered relevant bodies of the province to take adequate measures to ensure fulfillment of tax collection targets.

The head of state noted that over the first two months of this year, 106 million somoni have provided in loans for development of the private sector in Sughd.

He expressed satisfaction with the fact that Sughd’s industrial production growth rate over the report period has been 20 percent.

Rahmon pointed to the necessity of constructing small power plants and rationally using land resources in the province.

Taking into account increasing food and fuel prices, President Rahmon has stressed that the country’s population should stock up on basic food products, first of all grains and beans, for at least two years, the presidential press service said.

Today, president is expected to attend a ceremony of an official opening of a spinning mill, Olim Textiles, in Mastchoh district.  The enterprise with capacity of processing 6,000 tons of cotton fiber per year will create 450 new jobs.