In the index of economic freedom – 2023, Tajikistan reached an indicator of 50.6 points, which allowed the country to take the 146th place in the ranking.
It is noted that over the past year, the score has increased by 0.9 points. Among the 39 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, Tajikistan remains in 31st place, and its overall score is below the average, both by global and regional standards.
In the rating for 2023, only 4 states appeared in the list of countries with a free economy (more than 80 points): Singapore (83.9 points), Switzerland (83.8 points), Ireland (82 points) and Taiwan (80.7 points).
The study is conducted annually by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation Research Center. 184 countries participate in the ranking.
According to experts, Tajikistan’s economic development lags behind most developing countries, which is partly due to its high dependence on commodity exports and insufficient diversity of the economy.
Constant fluctuations in the market make its economy vulnerable. The problem of corruption remains unresolved, and the principle of the rule of law leaves much to be desired, which hinders the achievement of significant economic progress, the researchers believe.
The analysis notes, in particular, that despite some economic growth, Tajikistan remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and continues to depend on remittances and drug trafficking, the indicators of property rights in the country, the effectiveness of the judicial system and the integrity of the government are below the global average.
There are also difficulties regarding the effectiveness of business regulation and the openness of markets. Entrepreneurial activity is complicated by state intervention and bureaucracy. There are also misunderstandings in the field of labor relations, the study says.
Source: Asia-Plus