Tajikistan Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 27

Tajikistan Takes Steps to Punish Sorcerers and Fortune-Tellers

The authorities in Tajikistan plan to introduce punishment in the form of compulsory labor for up to six months for those involved in fortune-telling, sorcery, or witchcraft. "On the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, inspection and preventive work is continuing to prevent violations related to non-compliance with the requirements of the Laws of the Republic of Tajikistan, 'On the Ordering of Traditions, Celebrations and Rites,' 'On the Responsibility of Parents for the Education and Upbringing of Children,' 'On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations,' and others. In this context, control is exercised over persons practicing witchcraft, illegal religious teachings, Mullo, distributing talismans and amulets, and a single register has been introduced for such persons," the Interior Ministry said in an official statement. Police stated that such violations of the law will be punished more severely in future, with the republic's Interior Ministry considering people engaged in various "occult" businesses as fraudsters. "Persons earning a living by fraud (witchcraft, fortune-telling, distribution of talismans and amulets, illegal religious instruction) are [to be] punished with forced labor for up to six months," the law enforcement agency stressed. Back in 2007, against a backdrop of rising energy prices, unemployment and discontent, the government introduced a bill banning witchcraft and fortune-tellers, the visiting of whom was a popular pastime in Tajikistan. Consequently, a law was passed which stated that "those indulging in sorcery and fortune-telling shall be fined between 30 and 40 times the minimum monthly wage." Despite this, however, research released in 2012 found 26% of Tajiks still wore talismans for protection. With the belief in jinns and the "evil eye" holding strong, the appeal of the occult has never gone away, and earlier this year it was reported that demand for exorcisms is on the rise. In March of this year, President Rahmon delivered a speech in which he stated: "People of Tajikistan! The Prophet of Islam strictly forbade going to fortune tellers and sorcerers and said: 'Whoever goes to a fortune teller, his prayers will not be accepted for 40 days, and if he believes what the fortune teller says, he will leave the faith.'" Despite Rahmon citing Islamic scripture, however, Tajikistan has always been a country where religion has been viewed as a challenge to the government's authority, and it pays not to be too devout. In September 2015, clashes over the death in police custody of a man detained for "wearing his beard long" led to seventeen fatalities. In that year alone, the police forcibly shaved 13,000 men's beards and shuttered over 160 shops selling Muslim clothing. Today, the authorities continue to surveil religious institutions.

Central Asia Tajikistan Local Politics Tajikistan

Tajikistan’s Rahmon Wants Government Staff to Speak Three Languages

Tajikistan's president Emomali Rahmon has instructed all government officials in the country to master two foreign languages at a high level within a year, according to a report by Turkmenportal. The Tajik head of state commented that knowledge of two foreign languages at the same level as Tajik is vital for them to work effectively. From April 1, employees of state bodies, local state authorities and state organizations will be enrolled in compulsory foreign (Russian, English or others) language courses for a year and a half, according to a report by Interfax-Kazakhstan. “This initiative is being implemented in order to strengthen the professional skills, political outlook and language skills of the employees of state bodies, local government authorities and management bodies,” reads the report.

Central Asia Tajikistan Local Politics Tajikistan Tajikistan Business Economy

Tajikistan Intensifies Efforts to Train Locals for Work Abroad

Tajikistan is stepping up efforts to teach its citizens global job skills which will facilitate access to higher-paying trades and expand the range of migrant-labor opportunities. The state-administered Adult Education Center of Tajikistan offers training in more than 100 professions, with new specializations emerging every year. This year, the Asian Development Bank project plans to open three modern centers in Tajikistan for pre-departure training of migrants. These centers will train specialists in demand in the labor market, providing relevant international certificates. In addition, foreign languages, financial literacy and the basics of law and legal processes of different countries will be taught. According to Deputy Labor Minister Shakhnoza Nodiri, working abroad is crucial for Tajik citizens to earn more. A worker's qualifications are becoming one of the important requirements in the labor market, and the need for specifically trained personnel will grow in the future. Russia remains one of the key destination countries for migrant labor from Tajikistan. Under a 2023 agreement on organized employment of citizens of Tajikistan with the Russian Federation, the Agency for Employment Abroad placed about 5,000 Tajiks, or 77% of the 6,500 Tajik foreign workers they placed abroad, into positions in Russia. At the beginning of 2024, representatives of about 40 companies seeking employees from 13 countries visited the Agency for Employment Abroad to engage with Tajikistan's labor resources. Most of the requests came from companies in Russia -- where more than 100 companies applied to hire more than 20,000 workers from Tajikistan. In addition to Russia, last year Tajik citizens were employed in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, the UAE and Japan. Currently Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment is actively working on signing agreements on labor migration with the UK, the U.S., Korea, Canada, Germany, Singapore, the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In that way, Tajikistan is strengthening its efforts to diversify the geographical pathways of labor migration, helping to give Tajik migrant laborers a choice in where to go.

Central Asia Home Uzbekistan Tajikistan International Affairs Kazakhstan Local Politics Tajikistan Local Politics Turkmenistan International Affairs Turkmenistan International Affairs Tajikistan Business Economy Turkmenistan Local Politics Tajikistan Kazakhstan Life & Culture Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan International Affairs Local Politics Turkmenistan Business & Economy Business & Economy Uzbekistan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Local Politics Kazakhstan International Affairs Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features Kazakhstan Featurees Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Local Politics

Optimism Meets Reality at the B5+1 Forum in Almaty

The inaugural B5+1 Forum, a conference dedicated to strengthening business between the five Central Asian republics and the United States, came to a close today in Almaty after a second well received day of panel discussions. The B5+1 Forum was created by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which aims to use public-private partnerships to create a better environment for business and trade. The B5+1 platform brings international and local companies together with high-ranking government officials from all six countries, to learn about the difficulties that each side faces, and suggest new ways to attract partners and investment. Following an opening day focused on “Looking within Central Asia”, today’s speakers brought attention to “Central Asia’s place in the world economy”. The morning began with a keynote speech by Eurasian affairs expert S. Frederick Starr, who argued that because the five countries are now members of different trade blocs, the revival of the Central Asian Economic Union could break down their existing barriers to business and trade with the United States. During a morning session on international partnerships, foreign experts brainstormed ways to speed up the Central Asia region’s economic integration with the rest of the world. To an audience of business leaders whose overall mood was optimistic, the EU’s ambassador to Kazakhstan Kestutis Jankauskas and World Bank economist David Knight brought a dose of realism, by explaining that business in Central Asia is not performing as well as in other emerging regions. This, they both said, is because the governments – and business owners – have mostly still not let go of self-defeating ways of approaching markets and investment. The middle session went into more detail about the investment landscape, particularly in terms of IT and fintech. Jennifer Miel, executive director for Kazakhstan for the US Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that all five Central Asian countries have seen healthy increases in foreign direct investment since 2021. This was soon tempered by Anatoly Motkin of the agency StrategEast, who said that to achieve further sustainable growth, the region must unify its legislation and best practices, so that foreign investors can treat it as a single market as much as possible. The Forum’s closing session explored the role of business associations in public-private dialogue. The panel was moderated by Eric Hontz, CIPE’s director for accountable investments, and featured the executive directors of the US Chambers of Commerce in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – Aisuluu Sydygalieva, Nilufar Bulbulshoeva and Tatyana Bystrushkina. Discussion centered on best practices and solutions for effective member representation. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. Early indications are that the B5+1 Forum in 2025 will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asia Home Tajikistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Tajikistan Local Politics Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Local Politics Turkmenistan International Affairs Tajikistan Business Economy Turkmenistan Local Politics Tajikistan International Affairs Kyrgyzstan International Affairs Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Business & Economy Local Politics Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Local Politics Kazakhstan International Affairs Uzbekistan Business & Economy Business & Economy Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Local Politics

High-Profile Speakers Open B5+1 Forum in Almaty

The ‘B5+1’ platform – a group of countries comprising the five Central Asian republics and the United States – took an important step forward today, with the launch of the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty. Instrumental in the formation of the B5+1 group has been the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which aims to develop public-private partnerships in the Central Asia region. This new business platform has been created to help international and local companies to capitalize on opportunities in global business and trade – while assisting the six governments in attracting more direct foreign investment. The theme of the opening day was “Looking within Central Asia”. It began with a panel discussion on boosting economic integration in the Central Asia region, drawing from the area's distinctive context, and successful examples like ASEAN and the EU. Recommendations, from panelists including Richard E. Hoagland of the Caspian Policy Center and Alisher Shaykhov from Uzbekistan’s National Venture Capital Fund, included integrating the region's value chain into the global economy, and promoting collaborative investment initiatives. The second panel offered perspectives from Central Asia’s business leaders. Panelists including B5+1 representatives Aziza Shuzheyeva (Kazakhstan, e-commerce) and Manusurjon Rasulev (Uzbekistan, agribusiness) gave insights into the region’s high-profile industries. Speakers advocated for policy synchronization in these sectors, as well as in tourism and trade, as a means to boost regional growth. For the third panel, government officials voiced their support for enhancing public-private dialogue. Tajikistan was represented by its deputy minister for economy Ahliddin Nuriddinzoda; his counterpart Ainura Usenbekova spoke on behalf of Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan’s minister of finance Serdar Jorayev also spoke at length. Their focus was on national reforms and regional integration. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. The B5+1 Forum continues tomorrow, Friday 15 March, with a thematic day dedicated to “Central Asia’s place in the world economy”.

Central Asia Turkmenistan Home Uzbekistan Tajikistan International Affairs Turkmenistan Turkmenistan International Affairs Kazakhstan Local Politics Tajikistan Local Politics Tajikistan Turkmenistan Local Politics Tajikistan Business Economy Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Business & Economy Kyrgyzstan International Affairs Kyrgyzstan Local Politics Kazakhstan International Affairs Uzbekistan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features Kazakhstan Featurees Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Local Politics

CIPE’s Inaugural B5+1 Forum Opens in Almaty

In recent years the countries of Central Asia have taken more confident steps towards working with the United States and Europe, so that both local and international companies and agencies can capitalize on the region’s potential. Instrumental in this process has been the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which last year created the diplomatic ‘C5+1’ platform – a group comprising the governments of the five Central Asian republics – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – plus the United States, whose State Department has been integral to the development of the platform. Following the first C5+1 Summit in New York in September 2023, led by the presidents of all six countries, CIPE has now created a dedicated business platform for these nations: ‘B5+1’. The inaugural B5+1 Forum will be held in Kazakhstan’s business capital of Almaty this week, and will bring together policy makers from Central Asia, America and other countries, as well as high-profile private companies working in the region. At the C5+1 Summit, presidents Biden, Tokayev, Mirziyoyev, Japarov, Rahmon and Berdymuhamedov had committed to the establishment of B5+1 in order to “accelerate regional cooperation and connectivity [and]… advance efforts to create a more favorable business environment for U.S. private sector trade and investment in Central Asia.” The B5+1 event will be divided into two thematic days: “Looking within Central Asia” on Thursday 14 March, where representatives of the US Department of State, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy, the Caspian Policy Center and others will present their visions for improving Central Asia’s investment climate and economic integration; and “Central Asia’s place in the world economy” on Friday 15 March, where leaders from the US-Kazakhstan Business Council, the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and others will look outwards, to give an international perspective on how the region can grow its trade and investment volumes. At a time of geopolitical upheaval and disruption of existing supply chains, the Almaty forum will also continue the conversation on enhancing regional connectivity via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Trans-Caspian Corridor. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. The establishment of B5+1 is closely aligned with commitments made during the September C5+1 Presidential Summit and outlined in a document called the New York Declaration to strengthen their economic relations, and improve the business environment for regional economic integration and investments. The upcoming Forum aims to deliver on two key commitments in the declaration. The Times of Central Asia will be in attendance at the B5+1 Forum on 14-15 March, and will be publishing insight and analysis from the event.