DUSHANBE, September 30, Asia-Plus - President Emomali Rahmonov presided over a session of the government on September 29. The meeting considered more than 30 issues related to the socio-economic development of the country. 

According to the presidential press service, the government endorsed a long-term program of construction of a number of small hydropower electric plants between 2007 and 2020. Under the program, 71 small

power plants are scheduled to be built by 2020.  The total capacity of the plants will be 480.571 million kWh of electricity a year. 

On the poultry development program designed for 2006-2015, the president pointed to the necessity of seeking investments in that sector. 

Rahmonov also ordered an accurate inventory of land and the prevention of unauthorized distribution of land for housing. 

The meeting also considered amendments to the laws on the national borders and on border troops, as well as resolutions on state material resources, joint-stock companies, and the land and criminal codes. 

The government passed a resolution establishing the Economic Institute, based at the Institute of Taxes and Laws.  Professor Sirojiddin Komilov was appointed rector of the institute. 

The government also passed a resolution establishing a closed joint-stock company, Tojikston-VIS, an independent cotton inspectorate. 

At the conclusion, Rahmonov demanded that the public be provided with adequate electricity and natural gas, especially during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, and pointed to the necessity of improving the collection of funds from the public and from organizations for their electric and natural gas consumption. 

He also assigned tasks for the opening of another 500 computer classes in Tajikistan in 2007, construction of two schools in Ghonchi, and the opening of a branch of Tajik Teachers’ Training Institute in the Rasht district. 

Dwelling on the upcoming election, the head of state insisted that the government, the president’s office and local authorities should not interfere in the electoral process. He stressed that the presidential election should be transparent and comply with international standards.