DUSHANBE, 17.12.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Yesterday, the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Population in collaboration with UNICEF held a Forum on Cooperation with Donors and Development Partners in the field of Labor, Migration and Employment.

The forum was attended by representatives of ministries and agencies, development partners, international organizations, embassies of foreign countries, as well as domestic and foreign media.

The forum included a discussion and a round table on issues related to reforming the activities of the ministry, including primary vocational education, productive employment, migration, adult education, as well as the creation of a single platform for close cooperation with international organizations, development partners and donors, as well as the development of a joint roadmap to improve investment in the activities of the ministry.

“Our country has overcome difficult socio-economic problems and today has entered a qualitatively new stage of rapid and sustainable development. Currently, one of the main goals of the government is the implementation of the National Development Strategy of Tajikistan for the period up to 2030 and other conceptual programs and documents adopted under this strategy,” Minister of Labor Shirin Amonzoda noted.

She added that Tajikistan is in the development stage. As a result of the joint efforts of the government and donors, some successes have been achieved which are bearing fruit in key strategic areas.

According to the Household Budget Survey conducted by the Agency on Statistics, the poverty rate fell from 83% in 1999 to 26.3% in 2020.

The reduction of poverty is associated with economic development, which was achieved as a result of ensuring macroeconomic socio-political stability.

One of the important activities of the ministry is cooperation with development partners in attracting additional resources and investing in labor resources, migration and employment.

Amonzoda noted that according to statistics, the number of employed in the country in 2020 reached 2,560,000 people, and the trend of its growth compared to the previous five years was 5%. The largest share of the population employed in the real sector of the country is in agriculture, construction, mining and processing industries, and regulation of working conditions, monitoring compliance with its rules, including timely and full payment of wages.

She noted that another task of the ministry is digitalization, which is considered a priority, since the transition to digitalization will make it possible to properly regulate labor relations, analyze the situation, and in general, control and manage labor in the country.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade Zavki Zavkizoda noted that the government considers the development of the national economy as one of its priorities. The transition to the digital economy requires highly qualified personnel.

Head of UNICEF in Tajikistan Osama Makkawi noted that the coronavirus has affected the economies of all countries, delaying the development of some of them for another ten years.

“Today, with the help of the digital economy, we can create more jobs and reduce poverty. In order to achieve a green economy, all structures must be digitized. For this we need talented personnel, with linguistic skills and specialized knowledge that meet modern requirements. Therefore, UNICEF has taken more initiatives in Tajikistan to achieve these goals,” he said.

Following the forum, the participants adopted recommendations on the reform and further development of the labor sphere, migration and employment of the population, the priorities of its reform and the need to introduce modern management methods.