BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Caspian Basin: No Way to Halt Sturgeon Poaching
Momentum is building among Caspian Basin governments for a moratorium on sturgeon fishing, in order to protect the lucrative caviar trade. Informal discussions with fishermen, however, suggest that an official ban would be unlikely to halt the dangerous depletion of sturgeon stocks.

Tajikistan: Government Shakes Down Population Amid Deepening Economic Dysfunction
Channeling the spirit of Joseph Stalin, officials in Tajikistan, Central Asia’s poorest state, have asked residents in the capital Dushanbe to give up part of their salaries "voluntarily" to help finance construction of a hydropower plant. The fear of government reprisals is compelling many Tajiks to comply.

Georgia’s Lighter Tax Burden Comes with Potential Pitfalls for Taxpayers
President Mikheil Saakashvili says his dream is "to turn Georgia into the Dubai and Singapore" of the Caucasus. And simplified taxes will help pave the way. But some members of Georgia’s business community caution that greater planning and attention to detail are needed to make the plan viable.

Kazakhstan: Astana Set to Make an Energy Export Break with Russia
BY JOANNA LILLIS
Efforts to construct a trans-Caspian pipeline that would dent Russia’s energy-export dominance in the region continue to make incremental progress.