DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, September 9. Tajikistan's government has been tasked with reducing the poverty rate to 10 percent over the next seven years, President Emomali Rahmon said in a message marking the 33rd anniversary of Tajikistan's independence, Trend reports.
“Since gaining independence, all available resources and opportunities have been mobilized to ensure sustainable socio-economic development and improve the living standards and quality of life of our people. As a result, the poverty rate has decreased from 83 percent in 1999 to 21.2 percent in 2023,” Rahmon stated.
He further stated that the nation's endeavors during the independence period have been concentrated on four national strategic objectives: the protection of food security, the surmounting of communication constraints, the acceleration of industrialization, and the guarantee of energy independence.
Rahmon also highlighted that over 2,200 kilometers of roads, dozens of kilometers of tunnels, and hundreds of bridges meeting international standards have been built in the past 33 years.
"In other words, we have transformed divided Tajikistan into a unified territory, removed our beloved country from a communication deadlock, and turned it into a transit hub," he said.
He noted that independence has allowed for the start of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant project, the acceleration of its development, and the launch of its first units.
“Additionally, we have established the Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 hydropower plants, dozens of small and medium-sized hydroelectric stations, reconstructed 75 percent of the country's energy networks, completed the full renovation of the Sarband hydroelectric power plant, and created a unified national energy system. Today, construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant is progressing rapidly, and work is underway to restore the Nurek and Kayrakkum hydroelectric plants,” he added.