On 14 December the Tajik Union of Journalists, NANSMIT and TAJANESMI jointly with the OSCE Bureau in Dushanbe held a round table to discuss the issues of access to information.

Participants of the round table discussed legal and practical issues of access to information. Particular attention was paid to the recent government decree “On the order of payment for information to government bodies”. Agenda of the round table is available here: http://www.nansmit.tj/?page=events&id=86

Abdufattokh Vokhidov, expert of the Tajik National Association of Independent Media (NANSMIT) expresses the opinion of his colleagues saying that, “This decree is not in compliance with legal guarantees for the media, and it can impede access to information”.
Abdusator Nuraliev, professor of the Russian-Tajik Slavic University also stated that “Publicly important information cannot be commercial”. “The Tajik Constitution and the Media Law guarantee the right of media professional to acquire information”, – he added.
Note: On 31 October 2009 the Government of Tajikistan endorsed the Decree “On the order of remuneration to state institutions and organizations for provision of information”.

Khovar, State News Agency