DUSHANBE, January 16, Asia-Plus --The Civil Service Directorate Asror Latipov told a news conference in Dushanbe on January 15 that Tajikistan needs a new model of civil service.  

According to him, all necessary conditions have been created in the country for making structural changes to the civil service.  He noted that the directorate has mapped out a civil service reform concept and the concept implementation program for 2007-2009.  “In May, this document will be submitted for consideration to the government,” the directorate head said.  

Latipov noted that in late 2006, the directorate projected a new edition of the country’s law on the civil service.  The bill has already been sent for consideration to parliament that will consider it this month.   The bill has been projected for the purpose of bringing the Tajik civil service legislation into compliance with international requirements, according to Latipov.   

The civil service directorate head noted that monitoring of activity of civil servants had revealed numerous shortcomings, especially in selection of personnel.  

Over the past five years, the directorate has projected more than 40 documents.  In 2006, the directorate provided assistance in training of civil servants working with central bodies of power and in the provinces.   The civil service directorate is also expanding cooperation with other states on training of civil servants for Tajikistan, according to Latipov. 

“We have reached an agreement with Russia’s Civil Service Training Academy,” said Latipov, “At present 67 people from Tajikistan are taking correspondence course at this academy.”  In all, 100 civil servants from Tajikistan have taken correspondent course at the Russian Civil Service Training Academy since 2002. 

“At present Tajikistan is working out a draft agreement on cooperation with Ukraine’s Civil Service Directorate,” said the directorate head, “We expect the he document to be singed in the first half of this year.” 

“In 2006, 1,500 local civil servants took training courses at the Tajik Civil Service Training Institute.” 

According to the Tajik Civil Service Directorate, Tajikistan currently has 17,000 civil servants.  Ethnic Tajiks constitute 87.3 percent of the country’s civil servants, ethnic Uzbeks – 9.6 percent, ethnic Russians – 1.4 percent, ethnic Kyrgyz – 1.1 percent and other nationalities – 0.7 percent.   

78.1 percent of Tajik civil servants have higher educations, 6.1 percent have incomplete higher education, 11.5 percent have special secondary education and the remainder have secondary education.  

2.9 percent of Tajik civil servants are people above 60, 17.2 percent are people aged 51 to 60, 30.6 percent are people aged 41 to 50, 28.1 percent are people aged  31 to 40, and 21.3 percent are people under 30.