DUSHANBE, January 29, 2016, Asia-Plus – The Single Electronic Communications Center (SECC) has been established to ensure the country’s security, Nazar Odinazoda, first deputy head of the Antimonopoly Agency, told reporters in Dushanbe on January 29.   

“The Center will not restrict activities of entities operating in the electronic communications sphere,” said Odinazoda.  “The work of the Center will be controlled by the Antimonopoly Agency and it will coordinate its fees with the Antimonopoly Agency.  This Center will only control incoming and outcoming calls for the purpose of security.”

We will recall that the Tajik government signed a decision on creation of the Single Electronic Communications Center on December 30, 2015.

The decision, in particular, notes that the Center is being established for the purpose of overseeing and regulating incoming and outcoming traffic of international electronic communications and Internet.

Under this decision, all telecommunications companies and Internet service providers (ISPs) will route their traffic though the Unified Electronic Communications Center.

The communications service agency is ordered to ensure a step-by-step implementation of this decision during this year.

Meanwhile, critics say th Center will impose more government control over the Internet and cellular communications.

Tajik Internet Providers Association Chairwoman Parvina Ibodova told Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service that the Center will allow the government to shut down certain websites.

Some local experts consider that by establishing the Unified Electronic Communications Center the government would obtain monopoly over telecommunications and Internet service.  As a result the quality of service would likely suffer while customer prices would increase, according to them.

Besides, they note that the Center would leave the country vulnerable to a communications blackout.  Any interruption in the Center’s systems could potentially prevent Tajiks from communicating with or obtaining information from the outside world.