AP-BLITZ
TAJIKISTAN * NEWS
INFORMATION SUPPORT OF PEACE PROCESS# 12 (176) 21 January
Issued every day (except Saturday & Sunday)
? INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
? PEACE PROCESS
? POWER
? DEFENSE & SECURITY
? ECONOMY
? SOCIETY
? WORLD AROUND USPEACE PROCESS
FIVE MORE REPRESENTATIVES OF OPPOSITION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
COUNTRY
At the last meeting between President of RT Emomali Rahmonov and chairman of CNR, leader of United Tajik opposition Sayeed Abdullo Nuri, an agreement was reached on appointing representative of the UTO Zaid Saidov chairman of the Committee on Industry. Also candidacies were coordinated on positions of deputy minister of social security, deputy director of State Sta tistical Agency and department of geology of the government of RT. A-P was informed at press service of UTO that the sides did not come to an agreement in regard of appointing Mirzo Zi- yoyev minister of defense of RT. E.Rahmonov proposed that M.Ziyoyev be appointed first dep- uty minister of defense Chief-of-Staff and a member of Security Council, to which A.Nuri did not agree. Negotiations on this issue will be continued after return of the president from Vietnam. The next meeting of CNR on January 21 will finalize the list of candidacies proposed by UTO for po- sition of first deputy minister of internal affairs and first deputy minister of security of RT.DEFENSE AND SECURITY
SEMINAR ON CHARTS OF AREAS OF ILLEGAL CULTIVATION OF NARCOTICS
By initiative of the UN Drug Control Program and State Commission for Control of Nar- cotics (SCCN) the seminar "Charts of areas of illegal cultivation of narcotics" was held on Janu- ary 19. The seminar summarized work by UNDCP project "Charts of areas of illegal cultivation of narcotic plants in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan", implementation of which began in
November of 1991. Main technical advisor of UNDCP Xavier Bouan noted that the project has a budget of $792,600, and that local experts in 1998 worked mostly in Leninabad region and in MBAR, where the drugs are mostly grown. The project will be continued by the SCCN staff, and the area will be increased, to include Khatlon region and other parts of the country. Representa-tives of power structures in charge of illegal narcotic turnover took part in the seminar. They studied new methods of localizing areas of illegal cultivation of narcotic plants, and made their
proposals on improvement of the Project.CRIME IN RT: GRAVE CRIME ON THE RISE
In 1998, 13,161 crimes were registered in RT, which is 0.3% less than in 1997. But, by in- formation of State Statistical Agency, the number of grave crime increased considerably. In 1997, 3,735 cases were referred to the category; in 1998, the number grew to 5,467, or by 46.4%. Out of them 491 are cases of deliberate murder, 204 - heavy injuries, 61 cases of rape, and 4,555 robber-
ies. 969 cases were committed with use of firearms. Drug-related crime increased significantly - 979 cases, or by 48%: 7.5 times in Hissor, 1.7 times in Tursunzoda, 1.9 times in Dushanbe, by 35.1% in Khatlon region and by 28% in MBAR. 18 cases of banditry were registered in 1998, which is 28.8% more than in 1997. 41 cases of kidnapping against 37 in 1997 took place. 7,265 people were officially subjected to criminal liability. The rate of disclosing crime in 1998 grew to
51.1% against 47.7% in 1997.ECONOMY
CURRENCY SALE NEWS
The Tajik Inter-Bank Currency Exchange held its scheduled currency sales on Wednes-
day, January 20. Traditionally, National Bank of RT was the seller of hard currency to two com-
mercial banks of the country. Altogether, $405,268 were sold on that day. The exchange rate of
Tajik Ruble remained at TR987 for $1.00 - already for two weeks. The cash exchange rate is
TR1,230 for $1.00. Russian Rubles were not offered for sale.REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE SUMMARY OF WORK
As A-P was informed by deputy director of Republican Real Estate Exchange (RREE)
Umar Zaripov, last year RREE held 15 auctions to offer 109 objects of small privatization. 92 of
them were bought. Total volume of sales reached TR608 million (more than $608,000). The proc-
ess of de-nationalizing state enterprises was also accelerated last year. RREE auctions sold 73
packages of state-owned shares in 1998, for total of TR9 billion (more than $9 million). Still, the
buyers of the state property delay payments, and only TR3 billion were received by the state so
far.SOCIETY
MONUMENT TO THE GREAT PERSIAN POET ABULKASYM FIRDAWSI
RELOCATED
On the day of celebration of Eid-al-Fitr, the ceremony of opening of the monument to the
great Persian poet, author of the famous poem Shahname A.Firdawsi was held in the Dusti park. Mayor of Dushanbe Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev said that literary-art composition will be erected around the monument, consisting of sculptures of heroes of Shahname. Head of department of social and cultural institutions of the Hukumat Safarmuhammad Ayubi informed A-P that the mayor announced a competition for the best project for the Dusti park. Earlier, the monument to Firdawsi stood opposite the building of Majlisi Oli; now, the Vahdat complex is being built there, and a monument to the founder of the Tajik state Ismoil Somoni will be erected.
PS: At last, the monument to Firdawsi stands in the originally-designed place. After the bar- baric demolition of the monument to Lenin in September of 1991 the central square of the city had no monuments. The monument to Firdawsi was urgently erected, which was designed by sculptor An- ushirvan Bikasiyon as a part of a park ensemble. Its opening took place in September of 1992, on the day of opening of the first Forum of Tajiks of the world.WOMEN AND VIOLENCE - SUBJECT OF A SEMINAR
Gender discrimination in our society will be the subject of the seminar "Domestic vio-
lence. Gender approach to neutralization of violence". The two-day seminar, organized by NGO Traditions and Contemporaneity, will be held on January 26-27. More than 20 non-government organizations of Tajikistan will take part in the seminar. Head of Traditions and Contemporane- ity Alla Kuvvatova informed A-P that the seminar is part of project "Enhancement of role of
women in politics". Implementation of the project will help women - leaders of government and non-government organizations get training in their work, realize their role in political decision- making. The project includes four training courses, to be held in Dushanbe in the nearest two months. The female staff of district and mahalla committees of women of Dushanbe and leaders of women's NGOs will take part in the training. Certificates will be issued upon graduating. The project is funded through a grant of the Women in Development Bureau and the International Fund for Election Systems.TAEQWONDO FEDERATION EXPANDS ACTIVITIES
The Federation of Taeqwondo of Tajikistan, with financial assistance of Mercy Corps
International, organized courses of English language for children and computer training course for people of all ages. President of the Federation Mirsaid Yahyoyev informed A-P that the Tae- qwondo Computer Center (TCC) started the two-month training courses in September of last year. By conditions of the grant of Mercy Corps, free training should be given to 300 children.
The next semester for 180 students is to begin studies on January 25. Computer training is given on such software as Norton Commander 5.0, Norton Commander for Windows 95, Windows 95, Microsoft Word 97. Training is organized in individual way, and the program can be expanded by choice of students. M.Yahyoyev said that free training will be given to children from low-income families. In future, similar training will be organized for use of the global computer system Inter- net. Detailed information on training is available at telephones 21-53-78 and 21-73-41.HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR THE HOLIDAY
In January, in the eve of the Eid-al-Fitr, the Imam Homeini Fund provided additional aid
to low-income families of the country. Since 1995, the Homeini Fund systematically provided food, clothes and medical assistance to population of Dushanbe, Kulob, Kurgon-Teppa, and re- cently opened branches in Hissor and Garm. Last year, the Fund gave about $1 million worth of aid to about 60,000 families of the Republic. 15 tons of humanitarian aid are ready for shipping to MBAR, and a branch of the Fund is to be opened there in the nearest time. Deputy chairman of Majlisi Oli committee on affairs of women, health care, social security and ecology Mirkalon Shojonov said that the activities of the Fund will be expanded through creating small non-
commercial enterprises. Also, the Fund intends to finance health treatment of ten residents of RT and recreation of 50 children in Iran every year.EDUCATION
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SATISFIED WITH RESULTS OF THE YEAR
As A-P was informed by deputy minister of education Kurbonmuhammad Goibnazarov,
the general condition of the system of education and its personnel improved compared to 1997.
That was achieved through a number of changes, such as use of multi-stage system of education, and improvement of the system of education. By opinion of K.Goibnazarov, many teachers who left their work by economic reasons, returned in 1998 to their schools and universities. Salary in system of education was increased - to TR8,500, plus 10% for purchase of teaching aid. At pres- ent, 22 high educational institutions and 3,647 secondary schools function in Tajikistan. Last year, a delegation of ministry of education had at last managed to visit the Karategin valley to study the situation in local schools. The ministry provided school furniture and teaching aid to the schools. A boarding school was opened in Tavildara to host 300 children who lost their parents during the civil war.WORLD AROUND US: EVENTS, FACTS, PERSONS
FIGHTING IN THE NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN
Formations of the anti-Talib coalition under commandment of Ahmadshah Mas'ud cut
off vital communications to the main city in the north of the country - Mazori Sharif. Besides, the Mas'ud's troops took the Yakaulang city in province Bamian. Control over these cities is of great importance for Talibs, to establish full control over the country. Talibs offer desperate resistance, and lately their air forces bombed civil and military objects in province Takhor, bordering with Tajikistan, injuring civil population.GOVERNMENT OF KAZAKSTAN TO BAR IMPORT OF LOW-QUALITY GOODS
Government of Kazakstan, with customs authorities of the republic, intends to create a
database on imported products of low quality. "Such commodities will not be allowed for import in the republic but will be confiscated", - said at the press conference chairman of the committee for regulating natural monopolies and protection of competition Nikolai Radostovets. By his opinion, the measure should not lead to reduction of mass of goods and deterioration of assort- ment minimum at markets of the country. He said that the government is taking such measures based on the agreement signed with Moscow, aimed at uniting the efforts of the two countries at control of low-quality goods, first of all imported. The minister said that the document was signed by the first vice-premier of Russian Federation Vadim Gustov at the meeting of the inter-state economic committee of CIS. He referred to the agreement on coordination of anti-monopoly policies as the most important. Commenting on the economic situation in Russia, N.Radostovets noted in particular that "the sad experience of institutional regulation of natural monopolies in Russia and a number of bordering countries shows that the reasons for abrupt impoverisation of masses of population are not some objective reasons but mistakes in management of the country".
In Kazakstan, tariffs on services were leveled between industry and population, and levers were determined for maintaining price parity in terms of financial crisis. In CIS countries these reforms are at initial stage. "That is why they are learning the experience of our republic, since the rate of Tenge is stable, and the prices on services of natural monopolists had not been growing since sec- ond half of last year".LAW ENFORCEMENT OF KYRGYZSTAN INTEND TO ARREST A CRIMINAL HID-
ING IN RUSSIA
Law enforcement of Kyrgyzstan intend to detain in the nearest days general director of
state joint-stock company "Kyrgyzgazmunaizat" Shalhar Jaisanbayev, who is hiding in Russia.
Head of law enforcement department of Kyrgyzstan president's administration Balat Januzakov said at the briefing in Bishkek that the general director of the company had been relieved from his duties by decree of president Askar Akayev for abuse of post, resulting in financial violations; ministry of internal affairs of the country opened a case against him. The company suffered large losses through fault of Sh.Jaisanbayev. the government provided tax privileges and a possibility to control the market of oil products and natural gas. But the general director took to embezzlement and improper use of state funds. Investigation found out that the $18 million credit from commer- cial banks of the republic, including the Central Asian Bank, were abused. B.Januzakov noted that failure to pay for supply of gas to Uzbekistan in 1998 led to shut-off of gas to entire Kyr- gyzstan twice in 1998, through the fault of management of Kyrgyzgazmutaizat. At the moment, Sh.Jeisanbayev is in Moscow, where he left in December for a tour of duty. Kyrgyz law enforce- ment intends to ask their Russian colleagues assistance in detaining the escapee in nearest days. On accusation of corruption and economic crimes ministry of internal affairs of Kyrgyzstan ar- rested deputy ministers of finance, foreign trade, industry, protection of environment, and the di- rector of state customs inspection.THE ANNUAL WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS WILL DISCUSS
SITUATION IN RUSSIA
Participants of the annual world economic forum, to take place in Swiss city of Davos on
January 28 - February 2, will discuss economic situation in Russia. It is expected that prime minis- ter of Russia Evgeni Primakov will make a report on situation in Russian economy in the after-
noon of January 30. He will also take part in discussion of globalization of economy. E.Primakov will leave the forum on January 31. The forum will also discuss the last year crisis in Asia, the economic situation in Brazil and perspectives of European currency unit - Euro.* * *
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