As President’s Press service informs, President Islam Karimov signed a decree on 5 March 2008 On increasing the salaries, pensions, stipends and social allowances.

As Press service continues, “According to the document, starting from 1 April salaries to employees of the state-financed institutions and organizations, as well as pensions, stipends and social allowances will be increased 1.12 times on the average.” That’s why the document seems to be with a little bit deferred reaction because of the starting date. Why Karimov didn’t sign it before March 1 to let “his people” enjoy this decree and celebrate Navruz with heightened mood of more or less worthy payment of work. Another red herring or ordinary well-thought fiction?

Further, to those who earn money from state budget, President’s official site informs about minimum sizes which will be introduced on the territory of Uzbekistan:

salaries – UZS 20,865 per month;
pensions and allowances to disabled from childhood – UZS 41,330 per month;
allowances to elderly and disabled without the required work experience – UZS 25,030 per month.

Now, let us discuss what a big charity and condescension President expressed towards his people suffering from his poorly thought-out social policy.

Those, who draw salaries in proportion of 3 minimum sizes, in April will get 62 595 sums (students are supposed to be among them); 4 minimum sizes – 83 460 sums; 5 minimum sizes – 104 325 sums, etc.

When ¾ of the working population supposed to earn 5 minimum sizes from the state budget, the issue of earning for living still exists and is still considered as disturbing fact within the population. The prices on the bazaars for food are rising; high prices for public transport services and utilities make people of Uzbekistan to estimate their expenses beforehand to make ends meet.

So, was that decree issued as a cover of disastrous situation in Uzbekistan? I think yes, because when you ask sellers in bazaars about prices rise and they answer that “dollar is rising” (even it’s increasingly collapsing worldwide) it means that something wrong happens inside the system of internal socio-economic policy.

No need to explain the situation with elderly, disabled and pensioners, who are not only disabled by the nature but doomed to be consigned to oblivion by cruel natural laws of society caused by difficult life conditions provided by government’s policy. There is nothing but grievous reality colored in a red herring…