Tajikistan Humanitarian Background

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:

EMDAT website information on Tajikistan

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

In 2016, the UN and GovT of Tajikistan signed an Agreement concerning measures to expedite import, export and transit of relief consignments and possessions of relief personnel in the event of disasters and emergencies through custom office. 

Disaster Management in Tajikistan: The main governmental body responsible for responding to emergencies is the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CoES). CoES, together with the UN Disaster Risk Management Project, created in 2001 the Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT) comprising representatives of both governmental and nongovernmental structures, UN agencies, international and local NGOs. (Contact person: Firuza Tursunzoda CoES, REACT focal point, +992 884000004). 

REACT was established to promote the sharing of information, logistics and other resources between all partners active in disaster management. The group, involving over 50 state, local and international organisations and entities, meets regularly to coordinate and share experiences on issues related to various areas of disaster management, including preparedness, response, mitigation and capacity building activities with national bodies. During emergency situations, REACT works closely together, coordinating response and assistance. 

REACT is divided into five sectoral groups lead by UN agencies: food security, logistics and ICT (led by WFP); non-food items including shelter (lead by UNHCR); health (lead by WHO); water/sanitation; and education (both led by UNICEF). The sectoral groups are composed of the lead agencies plus those organisations most active in the specific sector. The purpose of establishing sectoral groups is to ensure that necessary measures are taken before, during and after an emergency to secure preparedness and effective and coordinated response. The sectoral groups undertake assessments in their specific field during an emergency and share this information in an adequate manner with REACT focal point. Coordination amongst these five sectoral groups will be maintained and lead by the REACT group. Monthly meetings of the REACT group partners are established. 

Neither CoES nor the Red Crescent Society (RCS) maintain emergency food stocks but they do maintain small stocks of blankets, tents and NFIs. During emergencies, CoES asks the Government of Tajikistan and international organisations accredited in the Republic of Tajikistan to render possible assistance (both food and non-food) to the disaster-affected population. CoES as well as the RCS have departments/warehouses of different capacities in all the districts of the country. 

The Resident Coordinator (RC) is the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General for development operations in the country. 

For information on Tajikistan Humanitarian contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Tajikistan Humanitarian Contact List

Tajikistan Regulatory Departments

The main governmental body that plays a role in setting standards and controlling quality for all types of products entering Tajikistan or produced in the country is the Agency on Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection of Tajikistan, also known as Tojikstandard. Tojikstandard is the successor organization to Gosstandard from the Soviet era. As such all food and non-food product standards are still consistent with those in other countries of the former Soviet Union, unless they have been changed since Tajikistan gained its independence in 1991. Tojikstandard operates a laboratory for the testing of various products. It plays a key role in enforcing the salt iodization law including centralized supply of potassium iodate to salt producers.  

Tojikstandard is also authorized to do HACCP certification of firms in Tajikistan. So far 40 Tajik enterprises have received such certification but no flour mills yet. 

The Sanitary and Epidemiology Service (SES) under the Ministry of Health enforces food safety standards at food processing plants and food service enterprises. It also has a laboratory that is equipped with a spectrophotometer that could be used for measuring iron content of flour among other things. During the flour fortification project that ran from 2002-2007 SES personnel were given much training.  

As of mid-2014 USAID was considering supporting a project to reintroduce flour fortification at a certain number of Tajikistan mills.  

The Food Department (“Pisheprom”) under the Ministry of Industry registers and monitors production levels of all food processing enterprises. There is an Institute of Nutrition under the Food Department that has some capacity to do quality testing of food. It has been active in distribution of salt iodization test kits to households with support from UNICEF. 

The Customs Administration under the Ministry of Finance will be charged with implementation of new regulations surrounding Tajikistan’s accession to the Word WTO in 2013.  

In a project supported by FAO and the Turkish government through a $300,000 grant, the Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken a project develop a set of hygiene manuals for a number of food industry sectors, following HACCP principles. 

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.3 Tajikistan Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List 

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the links below: 

4.1 Tajikistan Government Contact List

4.2 Tajikistan Humanitarian Contact List

Tajikistan Customs Focal Point Information

Emergency Response

Tajikistan is a member state of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), having ratified the Convention establishing a Customs Co-operation Council on 1 July 1997. This Convention entered into force on 4th November 1952. The only international body of customs law that contains a specific chapter binding states to facilitate the work of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations in implementing humanitarian assistance is the revised Kyoto Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (with its Annex J-5 on the Special Procedure for Relief Material). Tajikistan has not signed/ratified this Convention, nor has it signed/ratified the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. However, the Government of Tajikistan signed the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations on 18th June 1998, it still needs to be ratified.

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

The customs legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan and consists of the Customs Code and other normative legal acts (i.e. Tax Code, Resolutions, Agreements, etc.) adopted by the Government of Tajikistan. There are several documents that support the duty and tax-free importation of humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid can enter Tajikistan duty and tax-free. Exemption of humanitarian aid from customs duties and taxes is provided by Paragraph 3 of Article 345 of the Customs Code of the Republic of Tajikistan. It states that “humanitarian aid as well as commodities handed over to the Government of Tajikistan free of charge are exempted from customs duties”.

The revised Tax Code of the Republic of Tajikistan became effective from January 2013. Chapter 28 « Tax remissions », article 169 « Exemptions from Tax » states that “imported humanitarian relief commodities as well as import of commodities for handing over to charitable organisations to prevent risk of natural disasters, in case of emergencies, and commodities handed over to the Government of Tajikistan free of charge are exempted from taxes”. Resolution 459 of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on “Rendering humanitarian aid and technical assistance” (see attachment on Resolution 459 for more information) also provides for this concession.

Lastly, the customs and excise related aspects of the importation of humanitarian goods are also covered via agreements between the Government and the organisations. In line with the revised Kyoto Convention, the Customs Code of the Republic of Tajikistan was revised and entered into force on 1 January 2005. “Regional Customs Modernisation and Infrastructure Development Project”, which was supported by ADB is now completed. The project aimed to improve the efficiency and transparency of customs services, the simplification of customs procedures. The project introduced Unified Automated Information System to strengthen communication links between customs headquarters, regional customs offices and border custom posts. The system was installed in 72 Custom Posts. Several Custom Posts were rehabilitated, constructed and equipped with truck scanners and other x-ray machines.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

Transit is a procedure in which goods are transported under customs control, through the country, from the customs office of entry to the customs office of exit. According to the Customs Code of the Republic of Tajikistan, the responsibility of this rests with the carrier and (or) person who conveys the goods and the means of transport.