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Tajikistan
The Economy
Tajikistan possesses many elements that will be needed to diversify
its national economy after decades of specialization within the
Soviet system. Significant deposits of gold, iron, lead, mercury,
and tin exist, and some coal is present. Some regions have ample
water for irrigation, and the country's rivers are a largely untapped
source of hydroelectric power generation. The labor supply is
sufficient, provided Tajikistan can retain qualified workers in
critical fields. The civil war of 1992-93, the collapse of the
integrated Soviet economic system, and the lack of significant
economic reform by the post-civil war government all have severely
impeded economic performance, however.
Economic problems that had developed in Tajikistan during the
Soviet era persisted into the first decade of independence. These
included overreliance on production of cotton and raw materials
in general, a high level of unemployment, and a low standard of
living. Although the old Soviet economic system ceased to exist
officially, several aspects of it survived after 1991. The transition
to a market economy progressed slowly, and Russia and other former
Soviet republics continued to play an important role in Tajikistan's
economy. Yet Tajikistan also took the first steps toward developing
economic relations with a wide assortment of other countries.
Quite apart from the deliberate changes implemented by policy
makers, the economy of Tajikistan was profoundly affected in the
early stages of its independence by the political turmoil that
accompanied the transition.
Data as of March 1996
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