The process of economy situation improvement being observed in Sughd viloyat for the last two years, judging by the totals of national economy for the first semester of 2002 is acquiring certain stability and regularity. It to look at basic economy indices it would be not difficult to notice their inconsiderable but even growth. The main thing is that economy indices witness home production having started to work. It means that economic transformations, consistently conducted reforms in the branches of national economy in spite of great problems in the realm of investitures are, though slowly, bringing their fruits. The process of economy situation improvement being observed in Sughd viloyat for the last two years, judging by the totals of national economy for the first semester of 2002 is acquiring certain stability and regularity. It to look at basic economy indices it would be not difficult to notice their inconsiderable but even growth. The main thing is that economy indices witness home production having started to work. It means that economic transformations, consistently conducted reforms in the branches of national economy in spite of great problems in the realm of investitures are, though slowly, bringing their fruits. Production growth both in industry and agriculture, goods turnover, wages, capital investments is noticeable on basic parameters. We see intensification of outward aid in the domain of corporate infrastructure restoration - repairs of schools, hospitals. The volumes of investitures into social sphere are enhancing. Problems are natural to arise under reforms conducting. The formers are of infrastructural character - obsolescence of technologies, infrastructure, physical outwearing of utilities, roads, water supply system, irrigation; problems of communication. It is also a dearth of electro energy and the latter's limitation; the arrears accumulated throughout years referring here too. Thereupon, all this exerts a pressure upon the economy in total breaking its evolution for the time being. But there are other things, which inspire hope. For the first semester of 2002 the volume of the gross regional product constituted 251.8 million somoni. The tempos of GRP growth in reference to the analogical period of the last year have been equal to 110.2%. It is the best indicator even in comparison with the general tempos of Russia GHP growth constituting 7%. On these indices Tajikistan occupies one of the leading places among the former Soviet republics.
How was industry working during this period? For the semester the industrial outfits of the viloyat produced the goods for the sum of 183.9 million somonis. Production growth tempos in reference to the same period of the last year constituted 105.1%. Out of 225 industry enterprises of the viloyat 176, or 78.3% provided production tempos growth; 37, or 16.4% working nonchalantly, made the production decline; 12 outfits were actually standing idle. Among the outfits lagging behind there are" "Angisht" JSC, Isfara district; "Assor" and "Husnoro" JSCs, Konibodom district; agrarian combine, Nov district, "Zarafshan", "Kabool-Tajik Textiles", "Obi Zulol", "Asia Ltd.", "Khujand-Packaging " joint ventures. "Obi Zulol" JV was consigned to rigid criticism at the viloyat conference-meeting of activists. Over 12 million USA dollars were invested into this venture and it can multiply the volumes of production several times. The goal was set before this JV leadership to reconsider their productive politics and to steeply increase an output of soft and aerated drinks and in this way to provide an efficacy of investments employment. However, the plight didn't undergo noticeable changes. The situation at "Kabool-Tajik Textiles" and "Zarafshan" joint ventures leaves much to be desired too; the share of each in the total amount of the industrial produce in the viloyat constituting per 14%.
Over 70% of the working population is employed in the field of agriculture. For this period good indices of cattle heads are achieved. The latters have increased for 103%; cows multiplication constituting 102%, small cattle - 102%, poultry - 105%. Cattle progeny results are not bad either. The quantum of calves is for 6% more, lambs and kids - for 5%. The produce of meat, milk and eggs increased for 124%. It is a good indicator for procurement of foodstuffs for population. This year agriculturists have grown the yield of cocoons being the highest one recorded for the last years. 1691 tons of valuable industrial raw stuffs have been passed over to the state.
The volume of paid services for population has augmented steeply. The services of various kinds rendered to population collected the sum in the size of 25.6 million somoni; that being 1.8 times more than the last year index. It was promoted by commissioning a number of ventures on paid services and private sector development. Average wage for January-May constituted 23.5 somoni. It is 1.4 times more in comparison with the same period of the last year. Nominal wage for May constituted 25.6 somoni. It is important to maintain its growth. Now its growth outstrips that one of prices; that being a positive factor testifying to the social streamline of economic policy. Let the incomes per capita of the population be 50-60% against subsistence level, still there is a hope that in the oncoming years a consumer's basket will sustain considerable changes though even now the situation of viloyat residents is more preferable in reference to other districts of the republic if to take into calculation all the incomes of the population.
However, unfavorable situation is shaped also in the sphere of electricity and gas consumption. The debts for electro energy and gas consumed constituted 24 million and 42 million somoni respectively. The great bulk of arrears befalls the population. In this connection with the aim of preparation for the autumnal-winter period it is necessary to intensify the collection of money from the population for the gas consumed. A positive tendency is diminution of the arrears of the households for irrigative water employment for 30%. Insomuch as more than 90% of arable lands in the viloyat are irrigated by means of machines, a good deal of electro energy is consumed. It is one of the basic economy problems of the viloyat. The fact that the households are searching for the means, which might clear off their water debts, is positive, as a part of the formers will compensate the arrears in electro energy. In its turn it will precondition the augmented availabilities of supplying the population with electricity.
Now on the issue of transport conveyance and communication. The cargoes conveyed by auto vehicles increased in amount. In reference to the same period of the last year growth tempos constituted 103%. Freight turnover in total constituted 11.5 million tons/km, or 115% in reference to the last year. Passenger conveyance turnover enhanced as well: the services rendered constituted 295.9 million passengers/km and growth tempos in reference to the last year are 109.8%. The index of freight and passenger conveyance turnover testifies to the improvement of economic situation in the branch. These data include the indicators of private ventures too.
In so far as the preserved tendency of export and import curtailment is concerned, quite objective factors account for it. For the first semester they exported produce for the sum of 50.9 million USA dollars. In comparison with the last year it is for 9.5 million less. The main reason of export diminution is a reduction of exported agricultural produce, cotton and cotton wares, in particular. It is imputed to world prices decline in reference to cotton. And this reduction is in compliance with the economy laws. It is connected with the augmentation of internal production of goods; that fact being joyful.These are consumer's goods of which the import lessened. Very many foodstuffs started to be produced through home capacities. With the new agricultural harvest export volume increase is not excluded. In connection with the adoption of the changed tariff policy and custom's duties amounting up to 5% for all nominations of goods it is necessary to expect a growth of imported technology equipment that will afford to reduce foodstuffs import in future. For further promotion to the development of home industrial production Sughd viloyat Hukumat prepared a packet of suggestions to the government of the republic on conducting further reforms in the field of tariff policy. Throughout the semester passed a lot of alterations in tax realm were enforced on the part of the government. They adopted the laws on entrepreneurship, financial amnesty, enforcement of a unified experimental tax in dekhan and farm households, exemption of imported equipment from custom's duties, technology equipment for investors for building up JVs. At the present time they have drafted a project on exemption from SVT for stimulating home production of sewn wares and children's assortment; the project on enforcing alterations into the taxation code and also on according exemptions to newly formed outfits for the term of three years has been ready. All this should tell in the positive upon the general economic situation. In May they ratified a program on poverty reduction strategy; some agreements having been signed to the issue of this with international organizations-donors. Today this program is implemented already in real earnest. In accordance with this program the wages of budget sphere workers are increased, pensions are recalculated, compensations are allotted for schoolchildren from indigent families. In a word, everything is done to stimulate a producer, to defend mostly vulnerable layers of population in social aspect. Under the conditions of Tajikistan where the period of transition to market was accompanied with severe social-political concussions the mostly smooth transition to another formation, mild course of reforms are the only right variant of development. It is just that economic policy the government and Sughd viloyat leadership try to pursue today.