Tajikistan's government 'orders citizens to contribute to dam'
07/12/2009
The people of Tajikistan have been told to contribute funds towards the establishing of a hydroelectric power dam, it has emerged.
President of the country Emomali Rakhmon has demanded that every family in Tajikistan pay 460 euros (£416) to help to complete the building of the dam.
This is because the government has so far failed to secure financing for the multibillion-euro project, which is designed to put an end to power shortages that prevail in the developing nation.
Poorer citizens of the country will be exempt from the charges, according to Mr Rakhmon, although he refrained from defining the particulars of the term 'poor'.
On average, the monthly wage of Tajikistan's citizens currently stands at 33 euros - £29, according to the Times.
In other Tajikistan news, the government is letting down the country's women, a report compiled by Amnesty International concluded last month.
It found that almost half of the women in the country are abused, raped and beaten regularly - often by their own family members.
Written by Simon Bassett
