This year, over 112,000 low-income families in Tajikistan received one-time social assistance totaling 67.6 million somonis as part of the Population Social Protection Modernization and Economic Integration Project, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP).

An official source at a MoHSPP says low-income families received one-time payments of 600 somonis each, with allocations as follows:

• 50.9 million somonis were allocated to provide assistance to families with more than three children under 16 years old.
• 883,000 somonis for families with more than two disabled members.
• 15.8 million somonis for families with elderly members over 65 years old.

Process for receiving assistance

The 600 somonis allowance is provided to heads of families meeting the specified criteria.  In cases where the family head is ill or temporarily absent, a trusted representative can collect the payment on their behalf with authorization from local social protection offices.

Subsidy payments are distributed through Amonatbonk service centers or transferred to recipients' personal accounts, opened at the bank branches based on beneficiary lists provided by the Agency for Social Protection.

The project, financed through an international grant, is aimed at supporting low-income families. A US$35 million agreement with the International Development Association (IDA) was signed in June 2023 to fund this initiative.