Tajikistan Taxes Tourism Trips Abroad to Fund Development at Home
The new rules would hit Tajikistan’s tourism companies while benefiting an affiliated state body.
Tajikistan has established the Tourism Development Fund, funded by a 5 percent levy on tour packages purchased by Tajik citizens traveling abroad. The decision was made on July 1 but only announced in late August. This new system creates a specific account at the Ministry of Finance’s Central Treasury, and additional revenue streams include per-day fees for foreign visitors, permit fees, fines, deposit income, and grants from international financial institutions.
A 13-member council oversees the fund’s spending, chaired by the head of the Committee for Tourism Development. Domestic tourism companies will bear the brunt of the tax, with arrangements for outbound trips primarily managed by around 30 active companies. The 1,000 somoni tax on a typical 20,000 somoni package is about one-third of the average monthly wage in June.
The government claims this fund will help address challenges such as overcrowded border crossings and inadequate sanitation, but no definitive revenue estimate has been released.
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