DUSHANBE, July 24 (RIA Novosti) - Tajikistan's foreign debt grew by $18 million from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2007 to reach $856 million, the head of the Central Asian republic's central bank said Tuesday.
"Tajikistan's foreign debt will continue to grow as the country constantly receives loans from international financial institutions," Murodali Alimardon said.
The ex-Soviet republic's chief banker said Tajikistan would set up consortiums and raise private funds to reduce its foreign debt.
Tajikistan's central bank has been able to bring inflation down from 6.6% in the first six months of 2006 to 3.5% in January-June 2007, Alimardon said.
"By the end of 2007, the National Bank of Tajikistan expects inflation to be at the level of 9%, although this figure depends on the prices of energy products and the grain market," Alimardon said.
