Neighbors are forming a national state, while Emomali Rahmon has a government on paper (video)

During the years of Emomali Rahmon’s leadership in Tajikistan, there have been no significant improvements. It is very rare to observe a program implemented by the government directly, without the efforts of the people or the participation of society.

Photo: Internet

This year, as in previous years, there have been no significant changes.

Considering the fact that the process of global changes imposes changes on Tajik society and development is observed, it cannot be said that the public in the country does not face changes, progress, and transformations. However, as mentioned above, the initiator of these changes is not the government. Therefore, it is erroneous to attribute all of this to the government and to be grateful to it.

The government of Tajikistan may be the only one in the world that constantly claims about the economic development of the country, yet in practice, no one sees this development, except for a few figures. For example, Tajikistan’s GDP for the first nine months of this year reached 67.1 billion somoni (5.9 billion dollars).

This figure for the same period last year was 55.6 billion somoni (4.9 billion dollars). However, the volume of the country’s exports is always lower than the volume of imports, and unemployment is growing day by day. In the first nine months of this year, Tajikistan’s export volume amounted to 813.3 million US dollars, while the import volume was 2.2 times higher – 1.8 billion US dollars. For this reason, Tajikistan always faces the problem of a shortage of foreign currency and cannot meet the needs of society.

A few years ago, the authorities banned the activities of private currency exchange points under the pretext that they provoke inflation of the national currency. Currency exchange is now officially handled by banks, but in practice, private exchange points have not disappeared; they have transitioned to illegal activities. This demonstrated the fallacy of the government’s economic policy for several reasons. Firstly, it is currently impossible to buy currency in banks. Banks lack foreign currency, but even when they have it, it is several percent more expensive than the declared rate of the National Bank.

At the same time, the illegal activities of private exchange points continue. The money they paid to the state treasury during their legal activities as taxes is now paid as bribes, and the state budget receives nothing from this. Of course, such an approach, that is, underground entrepreneurship and tax evasion, directly affects the salaries of budget employees. For example, teachers in the Panj district constantly have their salaries delayed, and the introduction of salary cards has opened up another opportunity for corruption instead of eliminating it. For instance, when money is transferred to their cards, teachers can only withdraw money from ATMs. Since there are not enough ATMs or there is no money in them, they are forced to go to banks. Banks also do not always have enough money, so they are forced to pay bribes (usually ten somoni or almost 1 dollar) to receive their salaries before others.

Other countries also have a system of bank cards. When purchasing goods and services, a person can use a card instead of just cash. However, in most regions of Tajikistan, this is still not possible. Due to the speed and cost of the internet in Dushanbe not meeting standards, using cards will be expensive even in the capital.

In the spring of last year, during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in Tajikistan, prices for flour sharply increased. At that time, a 50-kilogram bag of flour cost 190 somoni. “Residents say that today in Dushanbe, a 50 kg bag of flour costs between 235 and 255 somoni, and in the regions – up to 290 somoni,” reported Radio Ozodi. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan called this “artificial hype” and stated that those responsible for creating the artificial hype in food prices would be identified and punished.

However, this is a reality that cannot be hidden. Today, more than a year later, a 50-kilogram bag of flour costs even more than when the Ministry of Internal Affairs called it artificial hype: 265 somoni in the Sughd region and 280-300 somoni in other parts of the country. The Antimonopoly Service of Tajikistan confirmed this news in October, stating that sugar prices in the Russian Federation had risen by 16.6% in Russian rubles and by 13.6% in US dollars.

Analyses show that the price of vegetable oil during the same period increased from 795 to 887 dollars per ton. Currently, the price of one kilogram of sugar imported from Russia is 7.32 somoni at the official exchange rate of somoni to US dollars. At the black market rate – 7.41 somoni (one dollar equals 11.50 somoni). A kilogram of sugar imported from Belarus costs 9 somoni, as it is of better quality. Commenting on the rise in flour prices, the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan stated that “due to the low amount of precipitation in Kazakhstan, the wheat harvest has decreased,” which led to the rise in prices.

The question arises, is Tajikistan part of Kazakhstan, Russia, or Belarus? No, of course not! So why are these countries mentioned when it comes to rising prices? What are the responsible officials doing? Tajikistan, being an agrarian country, has not been able to provide its domestic market with agricultural products, especially wheat, in 30 years of independence. Moreover, in 2019, the Government of Tajikistan announced the adoption of a National Development Strategy for the Republic until 2030. An important part of this program is that by 2030, the country should become industrial. How can an agrarian country, which has not been able to become self-sufficient and provide its population with at least wheat for 30 years, become industrial?

54.7% of this strategy is attributed to the private sector. Its adoption has led to residents being forced to make “compulsory charity” and build bridges instead of performing Hajj, as well as support entrepreneurs. In an interview with the radio station “Tajikistan,” residents of one of the districts reported that the head of the education department set a condition – parents must buy school uniforms for girls through him, otherwise they will be fined 15 somoni (1.2 dollars). In an interview, the head of the education department called his actions “support for local entrepreneurs.” Yes, when a philologist becomes a member of the economic bloc, what else can be said? Or when more than half of the 15-year strategy is placed on a destroyed private sector, what else can be expected? For a person under 18 to pay money to support local entrepreneurs.

With this example, we wanted to show that this strategy serves as a means of oppressing residents, and the authorities are trying in every way to “snatch” from people to buy “ribbons” and scissors for the “leader of the nation” and live according to the “instructions and guidance of the leader of the nation.”

On the other hand, these issues are related to the independence of the country, the thirtieth anniversary of which we celebrated this year. Yes, this year marked the thirtieth anniversary of independence, although none of the points of independence have been fulfilled.

Back in June, the former chairman of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Yodgor Faizov, stated that if necessary, Tajikistan is ready to accept 10,000 Afghan refugees. It should be noted that this was the only humane act of the current authorities, ready to fulfill their humanitarian duty to the neighboring country in exchange for Afghanistan providing shelter to Tajik refugees in 1992-1997. However, after the Taliban seized Kabul, Russia did not allow Tajikistan to accept refugees on the grounds that the presence of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan threatens the security of the country and Central Asia.

Perhaps Putin is right, as the Tajik government has never been able to solve the country’s fundamental problems, so it feels guilty towards its masters and considers independence to be just dances and festivities. In other words, the concept of our “leader of the nation” is limited to a beard, hijab, heel, tie, organizing traditions and celebrations, so at the slightest problems, he turns to Putin, and of course, his instructions contradict the independence and honor of the Tajik people.

Thus, it can be said that the government of the country and its leader have never had any achievements other than lies and repression. These lies, of course, are presented in the form of an annual address, and this year will be no different. That is why all informed nations build nation-states, while we have a government on paper.