VZCZCXRO5145
OO RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2171/01 3381006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 041006Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9187
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1890
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1919
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1928
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0687

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ETRD EAID EAIR ENRG KDEM PHUM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RAHMONOV RESTRUCTURES GOVERNMENT AND STARTS 
NAMING NEW CABINET: CORRECTED COPY 
 
REF: DUSHANBE 2169 
 
DUSHANBE 00002171  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. This cable is to replace Dushanbe  2169. 
 
¶2.   President Emomoli Rahmonov has restructured the Tajik 
government and begun appointing a new cabinet, a move expected 
following his November 6 re-election to another seven-year term. 
 Rahmonov reduced the total number of ministries and state 
committees from 25 to 17 and state agencies from 15 to 13.  The 
structural reforms consolidated some ministries, agencies and 
committees, and downgraded the status of some ministries to 
committees.  Among the most significant structural changes: the 
consolidation of the Border Guards with the Ministry of Security 
to form a committee headed by former Minister of Security 
Abdurahimov; the establishment of an independent Customs 
Service; a new agency in the presidential administration to 
fight corruption; the dissolution of the Ministry for State 
Revenues and Taxes; and the merging of the Ministries of 
Industry and Energy and the Ministries of Transportation and 
Communications. 
 
¶3.  The government has announced only a handful of new 
appointees.  Many top officials are moving from one high-level 
government position to another,  including former Ambassador to 
the U.S. Hamrokhon Zaripov as the new Foreign Minister, and 
presidential Chief of Staff Mahmadnazar Solehov as the new 
Interior Minister 
 
¶4.  The November 30 presidential decree announced the following 
structural changes: 
 
The new Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection 
merges the Ministry of Agriculture with the State Committee for 
Environmental Protection and Forestry.  Abdurahim Qodirov, 
former chairman of Zafarobod district in northern Sughd 
province, was named Minister. 
 
The new Ministry of Transportation and Communications combines 
two previously separate ministries and assumes responsibility 
for the Department of Civil Aviation, which had previously been 
independent.  Abdurahim Ashurov, former Minister of 
Transportation was appointed as the new minister. 
 
Under the new structure, the Agency for Standardization, 
Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection ("Tojikstandart"), 
which used to be under the former Ministry of Economy and Trade, 
will report to the government directly. 
 
The new Ministry of Economic Development and Trade takes on all 
portfolios of the previous Ministry for Economy and Trade, 
excluding the issues of tourism, attracting investment and 
Tojikstandart.  The new ministry assumes responsibility for the 
State Agency for Anti-Monopoly Policy and entrepreneurial 
enterprises. 
 
The Ministry of Culture now incorporates the State Committee on 
Religious Affairs. 
 
The Ministries of Energy and Industry combine to form one 
ministry, and take responsibility for industrial food processing 
from the former Ministry of Agriculture.  Sherali Gulov, former 
Chairman of the Committee for Management of State Property, was 
named the new minister. 
 
A State Committee for National Security is created out of the 
Ministry of Security and the State Committee for Border 
Protection (SCBP, aka the Tajik Border Guards).  Border Guard 
chairman General Zuhurov was initially announced as the head of 
the new committee, but the government declared that the former 
Minister of Security Abdurahimov would assume responsibility for 
the new institution. 
 
A Tax Committee reporting directly to the Government replaces 
the former Ministry for State Taxes and Revenues, and takes over 
the issues of social taxes covered by the former Social 
Protection Fund. 
 
The Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense 
replaces the former Ministry of Emergency Situations. 
 
The newly-created Customs Service assumes the customs-related 
duties of the former Ministry of State Revenues and Taxes. 
 
The Agency for Land Management, Geodesy, and Cartography assumes 
the duties of the former State Committee for Land Management and 
the former National Cosmological, Geodesic and Cartographic 
Agency. 
 
DUSHANBE 00002171  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
The Agency for Construction and Architecture replaces the former 
State Committee for Construction and Architecture. 
 
The new Agency to Fight Corruption and Economic Crimes will 
report directly to the presidential administration. 
 
The State Committee for Management of State Property is expanded 
to become the State Committee for Investments and Management of 
State Property. 
 
¶5.  The decree leaves intact several ministries and committees, 
including Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Education, Labor 
and Social Protection, Finance, Defense, Health, and Water and 
Land Resources while reassigning selected portfolios and 
responsibilities between ministries.  Some duties of the 
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection are now folded into 
other ministries.  The migration service is transferred to the 
Ministry of Interior and the vocational education department to 
the Ministry of Education. 
 
¶6.  Other new appointments include: 
 
Foreign Affairs:  Former Ambassador to the United States 
Hamrokhon Zaripov was appointed Foreign Minister, replacing 
Talbak Nazarov.  Nazarov headed the MFA since December 1994 and 
Zaripov served in Washington since 2003.  (NOTE: The new 
ambassador to the United States has not yet been announced. END 
NOTE.) 
 
Interior: Former Presidential Administration Chief of Staff 
Mahmadnazar Solehov replaced Khumdin Sharipov as minister. 
 
Labor and Social Security: Shukurjon Zuhurov, deputy of the 
Majlisi Namaoyandagon (Tajikistan's lower chamber of parliament) 
was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Security, replacing 
Zokir Vazirov in this post.  Shukurjon Zuhurov served as the 
Labor and Social Security Minister in late 1990s. 
 
Land Reclamation and Water Resources: Masaid Homidov, former 
First Deputy Dushanbe Mayor, replaced Abduqohir Nazirov. 
 
Justice: Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov replaced Khalifabobo Homidov. 
Khudoyorov was head of the Constitutional Guarantees and 
Citizens Rights Department in the presidential administration. 
 
¶7. Post will continue to monitor and report on new appointments 
as they are announced. 
JACOBSON