DUSHANBE, October 29, 2015, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday October 28, President Emomali Rahmon presided over the government meeting to review the results of work carried out in January-September this year.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, the meeting focused on the draft law on the national budget for 2016 and the national budget’s indicators for 2017-2018.

Speaking at the meeting, Rahmon noted that compared to January-September 2014 the rate of the real growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen 0.5 percent over the first nine months of this year.

The country’s external trade turnover over the report period has decreased by 17.9 percent, the president said, noting that imports into country have decreased by 21.8 percent over the same nine-month period.

96.5 percent of the national budget have been fulfilled over the report period and the national budget has received 10.8 billion somoni in January-September this year, which was 391 million somoni fewer than it was originally planned.

On the national budget for 2016, Emomali Rahmon said it would stand at 18.306 billion somoni, which is 19.8 percent or 3.3 billion more than this year’s national budget.

The 2016 national budget indicators reportedly reflect the economic and social development of the country.  Social spending will account for 44 % (more than 8 billion somoni) of budget allocations.

Rahmon noted that a special attention would be given to financing of construction, energy and transportation sectors.  The 2016 national budget reportedly earmarks 6.2 billion somoni for these sectors.

The meeting participants also discussed and approved the draft laws on amendments proposed to the country’s laws on the fight against terrorism, licensing system, electric coupling, and registration of acts of civil status.

The draft laws were sent for consideration to the lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of the parliament.

They also discussed and endorsed the national program for restoration and further use of the nuclear research reactor Argus-FTI.

The meeting participants also approved the government’s regulation on establishing presidential grants to support women’s entrepreneurial activities.