DUSHANBE, July 24, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- $16 million are need to conduct general census of the population and housing in the country in 2010, Chairman of the State Committee for Statistics, Mirgand Shabozov, announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on July 22.  

“With support of international experts we have calculated that conducting the census and publishing its results in 2015 require $16 million,” Shabozov said, adding that part of these funds had already been spent for putting names of streets and settlements to rights.

“The pilot census will be conducted in the city of Roghun and nearby settlements in October this year and its results will be submitted for consideration to the government in early 2009,” the head of State Committee for Statistics said.  

The pilot will be conducted in October because many labor migrants working outside the country usually return home in the autumn. “Even those who will not return home by this time will also be registered,” Shabozov said, noting that the census questionnaire has separate questions about labor migrants.  “While answering these questions, heads of families and householders may state how many members of family are currently in Russia or other countries and whether they are labor migrants or not,” he said.

We will recall that the previous census was conducted in Tajikistan in 2000, and according to it, Tajikistan’s population exceeded 6.127 million people.