Tajikistan has broadened the scope of officials required to submit income and asset declarations, as part of amendments to its Anti-Corruption Law. The updated legislation now includes employees of the National Bank, other state-run credit and financial institutions, and officials working in Tajikistan’s foreign missions and representative offices abroad.
The revised law updates parts 4 and 5 of Article 21 and introduces six new provisions detailing the conditions and procedures for filing declarations. Officials who fail to submit required information or who submit “knowingly false” declarations, face dismissal or removal from office.
Under the new rules, declarations must be filed by individuals performing organizational, managerial, administrative, or financial functions at state enterprises and institutions, as well as entities in which the state holds a stake of at least 50%. Technical and maintenance personnel are exempt.
A specific clause obligates civil servants in diplomatic missions and other foreign-based institutions to file a property certificate.
The range of assets subject to disclosure has been significantly expanded. Officials must now declare:
- residential properties, dachas, and other real estate;
- garden and agricultural plots, with size specified;
- vehicles and equipment;
- livestock and poultry;
- shares in commercial enterprises;
- securities and bank deposits;
- precious metals and gemstones, both in Tajikistan and abroad.
The income declaration must include earnings from primary and secondary employment, as well as income from academic, creative, and teaching activities; property rentals; agricultural production; bank deposits; and other sources, with specific identification of income type.
Newly appointed officials must file a declaration upon taking office. All officials are required to submit annual declarations by April 1 for the preceding year.
High-ranking officials appointed by the president or the government must file with the tax authority at their place of residence and submit a certified paper copy to the Executive Office of the President. Members of parliament report via the Majlisi Namoyandagon, while village and settlement leaders submit declarations to district or city administrations.
Failure to comply, or the discovery of false information, may result in denial of appointment or dismissal from a current post.
Tajikistan introduced asset declaration requirements in 2004, initially covering only real estate, land, and securities. In 2020, the rules were broadened to include other forms of property, including livestock.
However, declarations have never been made public. In 2019, then-head of the Civil Service Agency, Juma Davlat, explained that “Tajik society is not ready for this.” He added that the issue of transparency would be reconsidered “once the level of thinking and understanding in society rises to the level of Western countries.”
