TAJIKISTAN, June 18 - On June 18 in Danghara district, the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon held a working meeting with leaders and activists of Khatlon Province.

Deputy Prime Ministers, heads of ministries, departments, public institutions and organizations, the Prosecutor General, management of law enforcement agencies, chairmen of the Badakhshan Autonomous Mountainous Province, Sughd and Khatlon provinces as well as cities and districts of the republican subordination also attended the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to analyze the situation, including the results of socio-economic development of the region, implementation of instructions of the President, the Government and the process of improvements, the current global situation, recent changes and developments on the planet, the impact of these factors on the country's economy, and defining the tasks to address the occurred problems.

It was stressed that political crises in today's world, regional conflicts, economic and trade sanctions, unprecedented rise in food prices and reduced production in some parts of the world, as well as the spread of infectious diseases are of serious concern to the world community.

According to the United Nations, in 2018-2021, due to the difficult situation, the number of people on the planet affected by food shortages will reach 193 million, and the number of people at risk of starvation will reach 220 million.

Based on the observations, in the 2022 - 2023 season, world grain production will decrease, and depending on the situation on world markets, there will be an increase in fuel and food prices.

Such a predicament could affect the economic and social situation in all countries of the world, including Tajikistan, and according to experts’ conclusions, the consequences of this extremely sensitive period are unpredictable and long-term.

In connection with the problems of food supply, President Emomali Rahmon instructed the heads of ministries and departments, executive bodies of state power of regions, cities and districts, including Khatlon Province, through mobilizing all available opportunities and resources to take urgent measures in order to fully implement the action plan adopted by the Government on preventing the impact of potential risks on the national economy.

Instructions to the officials of cities and districts of the region were given to ensure the abundance of the domestic consumer market with basic necessities, to create their sufficient reserves, to prevent unjustified rise in prices, to establish regular and sustainable activities in all sectors of the national economy, to gradually continue construction and development plans, to create new jobs, to attract more domestic and foreign capital, to effectively make use of existing resources and additional sources of development and other measures.

The President instructed that in the current situation all the people of Tajikistan, first of all, farmers and every family should pay priority attention to the efficient use of water and land, including household and presidential lands, and to the re-sowing of irrigated lands.

Other instructions were given to the executive bodies of state power of regions, cities and districts of Khatlon Province and cities and districts of republican subordination, in particular, districts of Rasht valley, for timely and cost-effective harvesting of grain, repeated sowing of potatoes, rice, corn and beans.

The head of state Emomali Rahmon emphasized that now, when there is an opportunity, that is, a season of abundance, all the people of the country, all organizations and institutions and every family should be mindful of their needs in supplies, take all necessary measures in order to produce as much as possible and to store for two years to avoid food shortages in the coming autumn and winter period. That is, we must start today and prepare for the autumn and winter season.

During the analysis of the situation in agriculture, President Emomali Rahmon also drew the attention of officials of cities and districts to the use of irrigated lands, the return of idle lands to agriculture, the increase of repeated sowing, improvement of their reclamation, observance of agro-technical rules, increase of crop yields, getting of 3-4 harvests and thus boosting the volume of production.

At the same time, the President of the country Emomali Rahmon considered it necessary to use all opportunities in the framework of preparatory work for the winter to store fodder.

During his speech, the President instructed the leaders of Khatlon Province, its cities and districts to take urgent measures in cooperation with domestic and foreign entrepreneurs in order to increase the area of modern greenhouses and cold storages, set up packaging enterprises for agricultural products and establish logistics centers to supply the domestic market and enhance the export capacity of the country.

The heads of executive bodies of state power of Khatlon Province, its cities and districts have been charged by the President with attracting domestic and foreign direct investment, creating new jobs, providing favorable infrastructure conditions and developing priority spheres.

The National Bank and other lending institutions have been instructed to take immediate measures to ensure access to soft and long-term loans for small and medium-sized businesses as well as to take additional measures to increase lending to manufacturing businesses, especially in remote and mountainous areas.

In order to develop the country's industry, the executive bodies of state authority in Khatlon Province, its cities and districts have been instructed to stir up their work on the establishment of enterprises for processing raw materials and production of finished products, in particular, food enterprises on processing fruits and vegetables.

The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, together with local authorities and investors, has been instructed to take drastic measures to revitalize existing enterprises and rehabilitate idle enterprises.

The executive authorities of the region, its cities and districts have been instructed to work with relevant ministries and agencies to ensure the development of the light and food industries, machinery, construction materials and pharmaceuticals trades through the introduction of modern technologies and the maximum use of raw materials of the region through the full processing of agricultural products and medicinal plants, thereby increasing the production of import-substituting and export-oriented products.

Also, the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies together with local authorities and investors were instructed to take measures to establish enterprises for the processing of leather, footwear and other leather products.

Leaders of Khatlon Province, its cities and districts, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Committee, were instructed to take strict measures to ensure timely and complete collection of taxes, reduce their arrears and prevent wage arrears.

At the end, the President of the country Emomali Rahmon drew the attention of participants of the working meeting, leaders and activists of the country to the issues of strict observance of the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On streamlining of traditions, celebrations and ceremonies", worthy welcoming of the 35th anniversary of the State Independence, carrying out of activities related to the five years of industrial development and enhancing constructive action plans for the period up to 2026, and gave specific instructions for their effective implementation.