Tourism Promotion for Tajikistan on New York Times

The most popular American newspaper, New York Times, published an article last week by journalist Andy Isaacson who reflected on his interesting and detailed observations from touring Tajikistan and especially its Pamir Mountains known as “Roof of the World.” I am sure every Tajik citizen can take a benefit and pride when reading it. For instance, Andy depicts his impressions to millions of readers in such sentences:

“East meeting West, North meeting South: since time immemorial, the Wakhan Valley, in the Pamir Mountains, has existed at the intersection of trails trodden by nomads, peddlers, pilgrims and, at times, the soldiers and emissaries of great powers. When I’d thought about traveling to see this rugged branch of the ancient Silk Road, it had seemed like an adventure to the far-flung periphery of the world. Now, as I looked around the market, taking the long view of history, it felt more like the center.”

Certainly, we learn much from such perspectives of foreigners regarding our nation’s history and culture which makes us glad at the first look, but when thinking more deeply it makes us sad since then we realize how we, the Easterners, have noticeably fallen behind from Westerners in science, technology, world influence, and etc. It is while just 10 centuries ago our civilization was the most advanced and influential in practically all vital fields and regions of the world. 

However, this is not the point right now, but rather the importance of developing tourism in Tajikistan which to some extent is already being done for us by foreigners free of charge. I can argue that even by promoting solely tourism sector to a desired level meeting high requirements our country can attract huge capital and thus, improve its economy and living standards of population. Countries like Switzerland and Austria which closely resemble Tajikistan in terms of land and climate types earn significant profits from their tourism sector, so we can potentially achieve the same results by investing to development and promotion of tourism in our country as well. 

Imagine if instead of miserable 15,000 tourists as of last year our country attracts 100,000 tourists in a few years ahead and if every tourist roughly spends $3,000 in our economy we could possibly reap $300 million and provide good income jobs for tens of thousands of our unemployed citizens. In addition, developed tourism can create a better image for the country and make it known more as land of fairy adventure to the Roof of the World, than as a home of cheap labor force and migrants. 

Our great ancestors have advised us that one finished job is better than ten incomplete. So, while our country lacks any major oil and gas reserves, if considered as weakness, perhaps we should dwell on its strengths like our mountain tops, speedy rivers, and rich culture and history as our best bet in creating a better future for the nation.

The Price Tag of Truth

The price tag of truth

Written by Botur on Monday, 7 December 2009
Media and Internet, TajikistanNo Comment

Image by neweurasia's Schwartz (CC-usage).

Editor’s note: The Tajik government has recently instituted fees for information requests from journalists and the general public.  In this editorial, neweurasia’s Botur examines how putting a price tag on information will only serve to hurt freedom:  “Information is the lifeblood of democracy”.

In today’s world when just about every country is striving to improve its transparency, accountability and public access to information (or at least pretend to), the Tajik government once again decides to swim against the stream.

Last week the government issued a decree that envisions charging fees for reimbursement of costs incurred by providing information to news organizations and the public.  The fee has been set at 10 cents per page or $10 per 100 pages.  Consider that the average salary in Tajikistan is $70 per month, not to mention that there are barely two dozen functioning newspapers and news agencies, all of whom are strapped for cash.

The Roghun power plant construction site. Image from the Flickr profile of ASIA-Plus. Click on it to see more.

The public’s right to know

In developed countries there do exist fees for particular government services and processing.  However, there are no restrictions to public access of the kind of information that should be readily and regularly available to anyone — like, for example, the spreadsheet of public shares in the Roghun power plant that is currently under construction.  According to the BBC/COMTEX:

While an estimated 3 billion US dollars would be needed to complete the project as originally envisioned, with all six generating units, Tajik leaders are adamant that at least two units can be completed over the next five years using domestic funds.
Earlier this month, President Emomali Rahmon said he was confident that the Tajik people “will do everything they can to help complete” the Roghun project.
Tajik lawmakers have expanded the effort by calling on people to buy shares in Roghun that would be made available for trading on the country’s stock market in 2010.
According to Tajik media reports, public-sector workers in some areas have already begun contributing money to the Roghun project, while others, including the Islamic Renaissance Party, have announced their intention to purchase Roghun shares.  (ENG)

An un-Freedom of Information Act

In the United States there is even a little something called the “Freedom of Information Act” (FOI) that enshrines this right, especially for journalists.  The new law in Tajikistan seems to be the precise opposite of FOI.  I believe it has ben designed to create a “safety zone” for the Tajik government from its own people by making information prohibitively expensive for journalists.   This will keep the population under-informed and under-educated.

The decree shamelessly defies the core principle of democracy — it is elected by the people, whom it serves.  Adding insult to injury is the fact that the fees are effectively a form of double-taxation.  This is absolutely unacceptable and harmful for a country that has chosen democratic path to development and which, on the contrary, seriously needs to improve transparency, public access to information, and media coverage of its population to achieve its goals.

Information is the lifeblood of democracy…

…which is why the Tajik government should immediately repeal this decree.  In fact, they should also order the various ministries to hold regular press briefings, maintain active and responsive public relations departments, and vigorously collect and compile all data regarding their activities.   Instead, we see a government essentially saying to its people, “Don’t ask questions, just bring the money”.

One Step Forward, But Two Steps Backwards

In today’s world when every country and organization strives to improve its transparency, accountability and public access to its information in order to gain trust and support in society, the Tajik government once again decides to “swim against the stream.”

Just a few days ago, it issued a decree that envisions charging fees for reimbursement of the costs of providing information to organizations and public. The government is now allowing its offices, ministries, and agencies to require payment of about 10 cents per page or $10 dollars per 100 pages of information before providing it to anyone interested.

Unfortunately, this is happening in a country where average salary is roughly $70 dollars, most of the population don’t have easy or regular access to information and barely two dozen functioning newspapers and other media outlets are already struggling with financial difficulties and hardships in obtaining government-related information.

Although, in developed countries there are some fees for particular government services and processing, but there is nothing that restricts public access to the kind of information that should be readily and regularly available to anyone. Also, there are justified exceptions and privileges for journalists in foreign countries, but the Tajik government wants to impose plain restrictions to its information for everybody.

Evidently, this decree is designed to create a “safety zone” for Tajik government from its own people, make information access expensive and unaffordable for media and push more of them to edge of bankcrupcy and closesure, and generally, keep the population less informed and undereducated, so the ruling “gangsters” can continue robbing their nation, destroying the state, and walking unpunished.

Such action shamelessly defies the notion that in a democratic state government is elected by people and serves its people, but not vice versa. It is absolutely right, as one Tajik journalist noted, that especially in Tajikistan people cannot be expected to pay for government service twice as they already pay government to work through taxes.

Therefore, this is absolutely unacceptable and harmful for a country that has chosen democratic path to development and which, on the contrary, seriously needs to improve transparency, public access to information, and media coverage of its population to achieve its goals.

The Tajik government should immediately recall this decree and in fact, reverse it with additional order to its officials to make sure they conduct weekly or monthly press briefings, maintain highly active and responsive public relations departments, and conduct vigorous collection and distribution of data, information, and analysis regarding government activity.

Only by promoting information access, transparency, and accountability can this Tajik government increase its chances for regaining the trust and support of its own people and of international community that it has lost and improve its image in order to attract big domestic and foreign investments.

President Rahmon must understand that he cannot force Tajik people to buy shares for Roghun construction and join efforts in building such immense and important powerhouse, but in market economy and free society any cooperation can exist only through gaining trust and support which can be achieved exactly by broadening public access to information, transparency of plans, and accountability for ones own actions.

By announcing decree to restrict access to information and at the same time demanding from population to buy shares in Roghun power plant, it looks like this regime wants to tell us “Don’t ask, bring the money.” But doesn’t it remind everyone of the way gangsters deal with issues? I hope they know how gangsters end up, though.

In summary, the Tajik government likes to take “one step forward, but two steps backwards.” While previous decrees which obligated government offices and ministries to conduct regular press conferences as well as be responsive to public remarks circulated in media were steps forward, certainly this step is a backwards one.