DUSHANBE, March 1, Asia-Plus - A February 28 government session presided over by President Emomali Rahmonov endorsed a number of national programs.

The government, in particular, approved the national programs for investments, grants and technical assistance for 2007-2009, prevention of HIV-AIDS epidemic for 2007-2010, development of culture for 2008-2015 and strategy of development state internal finance control in Tajikistan.

The ministry of economic development and trade (MoEDT) is to project draft prognosis of socioeconomic development of Tajikistan for 2008 and main indices of prognosis of socioeconomic development of the country for 2009-2010 and submit it for consideration to the government before May 2, 2007.

The national program for investments, grants and technical assistance provides for implementation of 79 investment projects through attraction of foreign capital for a total amount of $1.7497 billion.  According to presidential press service, of these 79 projects, 27 totaling $1.0797 billion have already been working and another 52 projects with a total cost of $670.7 million are the new projects.  Besides, 203 grant and technical assistance projects for 4641.4 million are expected to be implemented under this program.

The government session also endorsed and sent for consideration to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber) a number of bills requiring amendments to the country’s laws on elections to the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), on election of members of local legislatures, on veterans, on state support for entrepreneurship and on the Academy of Sciences.