The funds received are used to finance protected budget items.

The government of Tajikistan sold gold reserves to ensure financing of protected items of state budget expenditures, says the World Bank's “Economic Outlook for Europe and Central Asia: COVID-19 and Human Capital”, published last Thursday.

The protected items of expenditure in accordance with the law on the State Budget for 2020 included wages, social contributions, scholarships, pensions, benefits, compensation payments and payments for utilities.

The report notes that the budget deficit in the first half of this year amounted to 2.3% of GDP, tax collection fell below the planned targets.

World Bank analysts emphasize that the government has amended the state budget for this year, providing various fiscal breaks to support the economy and expanding funding for social protection of vulnerable people through one-time targeted assistance in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.