DUSHANBE, November 11, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Tajikistan’s economic growth for 2010 to stand at 5 percent; however, the risk that the country will fail to reach this level is very high, Mr. Luc Moers, the IMF Resident Representative in Tajikistan, said at the presentation of the Middle East and Central Asia Regional Economic Outlook in Dushanbe yesterday.

According to him, primarily, the country’s economic growth was projected at 3 percent against this year’s 2-percent rate.  Projection has been reviewed because prices of Tajikistan''s major commodities -- aluminum and cotton – are expected to rise next year and the recovery in Russia should help stabilize remittance inflows.

Mr. Moers added that were also internal driving forces to promote economic growth.  One of such factors is non-cotton sector of the country’s agriculture, which is currently developing actively that is evidence of viability of the agrarian sector in Tajikistan.

“However, growth is taking place from a very low basic point and contribution of this sector to GDP is still limited,” said the IMF Resident Representative, “The risk that economic growth in Tajikistan will not reach 5 percent in 2010 is very high, because it is necessary to provide growth inside the country itself that will depend to a large extent on reforms and investment climate.”