DUSHANBE, June 11, Asia-Plus -- On Friday June 8, President Emomali Rahmon signed the law on the order on observing national traditions and rituals, as well as two laws requiring amendments to the law on public service and the administrative code that crack down on lavish private ceremonies.  

According to presidential press service, the laws will be effective after being published in media.  In the near future, all three laws will be published in the state-run newspaper Juhuriyat and after that in other print media of the country.  

Earlier parliament unanimously voted for the bills initiated by the president.

We will recall that President Rahmon on May 24 held a meeting with heads of local administrations, workers of culture and science, experts in art and literature and representatives of religious confessions in Dushanbe.  Telling the conference, Emomali Rahmon dismissed spending huge sums on show-off events held in a family that either rejoices or grieves over certain events in its life as an immoral and wretched practice.  The president, in particular, noted that people annually spend for weddings and mourning ceremonies on average 4.5-5 billion somonis, while the entire Tajik national budget makes up 3.3 billion somonis (an official exchange rate of the Tajik national currency is 3.44 somonis to one USD).  President Emomali Rahmon also urged the creation of a public charity fund for the poor.

            The law sets heavy fines.  Those who break the law would be fined.  The fine for ordinary citizens would be 2,000 somonis, for officials 5,000 somonis and for legal entities 10,000 somonis.