DUSHANBE, January 11, Asia-Plus - Sherkhon Salimov, formerly head of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Committee on Constitution, Legislation and Human Rights, has been appointed to head the Agency for the Financial Oversight and the Fight Against Corruption.

According to presidential press service, President Rahmonov on January 10 signed a decree ordering the creation of the Agency for the Financial Oversight and the Fight Against Corruption that will be placed under his direct supervision.  The decree states that the agency is created for the purpose of extending a system of the fight against corruption and economic crimes, removing duplication of functions and powers of public management bodies, providing transparency of audit activity.   

Under the decree, the agency leadership includes director and three deputies.  A total number of the agency’s staffers is 500 people, including 150 staffers of the central apparatus.

The agency will be financed at the expense of funds provided for the former Financial Oversight Committee, Chief Tax Police Department of the Ministry of State Revenues and Tax Collections, as well as bodies for the fight against corruption and economic crimes of the Prosecutor-General’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.  

In connection with the establishment of the Agency changes are made to the structure of central bodies of the executive power of Tajikistan (president’s decree of November 30, 2006 on improvement of the structure of central bodies of the executive power).  The Agency for the Fight Against Corruption and Economic Crimes should be identified as the Agency for the Financial Oversight and the Fight Against Corruption.   

By other president’s decree Sherkhon Salimov was appointed as director of the Agency for the Financial Oversight and the Fight Against Corruption.