President Emomali Rahmon has urged the government to ensure the country’s economic growth this year at the rate of at least 8 percent.

An enlarged session of the government to review the result of the past year’s work and determine the main tasks for this year took place on January 20.  

Speaking at the meeting, the head of state pointed to the necessity of using all the capacities and opportunities to achieve the desired objectives, form financial resources aimed at providing development of the multi-vector economy, extending the digitalization process, implementing the green economy, according to the Tajik president’s official website.

The president reportedly urged the government to ensure the country’s economic growth at the rate of at least 8.0 percent in 2022.   

The Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda, for his part, noted that the country’s external trade turnover last year increased by 39.5 percent compared to 2020.  

He further noted that in 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) for 2021 was 98.9 billion somonis, an increase of 9.2 percent over last year in comparable prices.  

According to official figures, Tajikistan last year had the highest economic growth rate since 2004, when it was 10.3 percent.  

Meanwhile, the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report, which was released on January 11, predicts a sharp slowdown in economic growth in Tajikistan within the coming two years: the economic growth in Tajikistan is expected to decelerate from to 5.5 percent in 2022 and 4.5 percent in 2023.     

The report, in particular, says that following a strong rebound in 2021, the global economy is entering a pronounced slowdown amid fresh threats from COVID-19 variants and a rise in inflation, debt, and income inequality that could endanger the recovery in emerging and developing economies