DUSHANBE, October 23, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) on October 23 endorsed the draft law “On the National Budget of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2014.”

Presenting the draft law, Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov said that the national budget indicators reflect the economic and social development of the country.

Tajikistan’s national budget for 2014 is projected to stand at 13.901 billion somoni, which is 15.3 percent or 1.8 billion somoni more than last year.  “As a percentage of our gross domestic product, the budget will be 28.7 percent,” the minister noted.

The budget deficit is projected to stand at 242.1 million somoni, he noted.   

Under the draft law on the national budget for 2014, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will stand at 48.5 billion somoni next year, inflation in 2014 will stand at 7.5 percent and deflation index will stand at 5.9 percent.

“According to our forecasts, the exchange rate of the national currency, the somoni, to the dollar will be 4.84:1 next year,” Najmiddinov said.