On October 20, 2023, in the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan was held a scientific and practical conference on «Digital economy and its role in the national economy».
The conference was opened with an opening speech by the Director of the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, associate member of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Khayriddin Usmonzoda, in particular, he noted that the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan is working step by step to realize the goals of the «National Development Strategy until 2030» and connects the daily development of its economy with modern technological achievements. One of the most important components of these efforts is the digitalization of the economy. Digitalization is actually a very complex and labor-intensive process, and it is a difficult stage in the transition from a traditional economy to a modern economy that our country must pass through as well.
It should be noted that the «National Development Strategy until 2030» considers three five-year development phases to achieve this level of development of our country’s economy: transition to a new economic development model (2016-2020); rapid development of the economy to attract capital (2021-2025); and gradual completion of industrialization through capacity building, especially the development of science and innovation (2026-2030).
The first stage is based on the development of the industrial sector. Based on this model, there will be rapid growth in industry, agriculture and finance. In the second stage of economic development the attraction of foreign direct investment will become more active. At this stage, it is necessary to implement the energy security strategy, the main goal of which is to fully satisfy the demands of the economy with energy resources. In addition, the construction and rehabilitation of transport corridors will be completed, and the issue of bringing the Republic of Tajikistan out of the communication deadlock will be solved. In the third stage, science, technology and innovation will develop the economy. These actions emphasize the need to introduce modern technologies to facilitate the growth of human capital. This action not only changes the content of economic relations, but also promotes fundamental changes in the methods of economic activity and management.
To realize this task, of course, it is important to prepare the basic infrastructural components that are the main driver of activity and development at the stage of digitalization of the economy. This list primarily includes working tools, programs for suppliers, information and communication technologies, creation of opportunities for virtual communication of market subjects, training of personnel with relevant knowledge and skills for this process, etc. Without them, regular economic activities, including financial services operations, e-commerce, internet banking in the digital economy are impossible.
Based on these requirements, the question arises, how much progress have we made in this area and what are the actual challenges we are facing now? In order to find answers to these questions, based on the Address of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, his excellency Emomali Rahmon to the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, the staff of the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan in Dushanbe and districts of republican subordination conducted a practical study and published the results on the website of the Center, NIAT «Khovar» and the newspaper «Narodnaya Gazeta». In this study, it was mentioned that the institutional structures of our economy need to be reformed for effective implementation of the orders and instructions of our Head of State in this sphere.
Analysts from the Center for Strategic Research visited Khatlon Province to study the issue in advance of today’s scientific conference. In this study, along with the development of digitalization of the economies of Bokhtar and Kulob provinces, there are also many issues that need to be solved, which you will hear about in our staff’s report here.
Therefore, I am confident that other reports will also discuss and evaluate the state of digitalization of our country’s economy, express useful opinions and recommendations, because it is impossible to ensure the competitiveness of our country’s economy without implementing serious measures in this direction.
Then spoke on the topic and gave satisfactory answers to the questions of the audience the Deputy Director of the Center Saodat Jurakhonzoda Saodat on «The process of digitalization of the economy of the Republic of Tajikistan: the state of the problems and prospects of development», head of the Department of Analysis of Macroeconomic Issues, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Oraz Murtazoev, on the topic «The role of the digital economy in the realization of the country’s strategic goals on the example of the industrial-innovation model», first Deputy Rector for Education of Tajik State University of Commerce Abdukarim Qurbonov on «The state of digitalization of the entrepreneurial process and ways to improve it», Head of Financial Planning Department of the Main Treasury of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan, Muhammad Amirkhonov on the topic «Key aspects of digitalization of financial processes», Doctor of Economics, Professor of the Department of Information Systems in Economics, National University of Tajikistan, Ilyosjon Shamsov on the topic «Current situation and problems of development of digital economy in the Republic of Tajikistan Head of Prospects and Planning Division of the Department of Economy of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Tajikistan», Dilafruz Sharifova on «Development and introduction of innovative technologies in the direction of accelerated industrialization of the Republic of Tajikistan», and Chief Specialist of the Department of Digital Economy Development of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan, Bakhtovar Qosimzoda on the topic «Institutional Development of Digital Economy in the Republic of Tajikistan». After that, the participants of the conference offered useful thoughts and opinions on the presented reports.
Director of the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Khayriddin Usmonzoda summarized and concluded the scientific conference, thanked the participants for their active participation and expressed hope that this scientific conference will contribute to further improvement of digitalization of the economy of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The conference was held in the spirit of sincerity, good understanding and constructive dialog.
Press service of the Center for Strategic
Research under the President of
the Republic of Tajikistan
