Hokim Kholiqzoda

Hokim Kholiqzoda Hikmatullo (; born 27 July 1973) is a Tajik economist and politician who has served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan since January 2024. A member of the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT), he previously served as the Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan from 2020 to 2024 and as a member of the lower house of parliament from 2015 to 2020. Kholiqzoda has been involved in key national economic projects, including the Rogun Dam and the CASA-1000 energy transmission project, and has represented Tajikistan in various international economic forums.

Early life and education Kholiqzoda was born on 27 July 1973 in the Rumi district (present-day Jaloliddin Balkhi District) of the Khatlon Region. He pursued higher education in economics and finance, graduating with a degree in accounting from the Dushanbe Financial and Economic Institute in 1994. In 2004, he earned a degree in economics and management from the University of Tax and Law. He later graduated from Tajik National University in 2013 with a specialization in finance and credit. He also holds a scientific degree of Candidate of Sciences in Economics, which he received from the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation.

Career Kholiqzoda began his professional career in 1995 working in entry-level positions as an accountant and cashier. In 2003, he served as the Deputy Chief Accountant of the Operations Management Department at Amonatbank, the state savings bank of Tajikistan. He entered national politics in 2015 when he was elected as a deputy of the Assembly of Representatives, the lower house of Tajikistan's parliament. During his tenure, he served on the economic and finance committees. Following the parliamentary elections in March 2020, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Economics and Finance of the Assembly of Representatives. On 20 June 2020 Kholiqzoda was appointed Deputy Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan. Just five months later, on 20 November 2020 he was promoted to Chairman of the National Bank, succeeding Jamshed Nurmahmadzoda. As central bank governor, he oversaw monetary policy during a period of post-COVID economic recovery and managed inflation control. He engaged with international financial institutions, holding negotiations with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In January 2024 Kholiqzoda was appointed as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan by presidential decree. In this capacity, he is responsible for supervising macro-economic policy, investment, and the energy sector. He is directly involved in overseeing two of Tajikistan's largest infrastructure initiatives: the construction of the Rogun Dam (which aims to achieve national energy independence) and the implementation of the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project, which connects the power grids of Central Asian countries to South Asia.

International activities Kholiqzoda frequently represents Tajikistan in international forums. He leads the Tajik delegation to the Central Asia–European Union Economic Forum and participates in sessions of the CIS Economic Council. In September 2025 he chaired a meeting of the CIS Economic Council in Dushanbe. He has held high-level bilateral talks with international officials, including the United Kingdom's Regional Sanctions Envoy and the Turkish Minister of Labour and Social Security. On behalf of the President of Tajikistan, he conferred the Order of Dusti to the President of the IsDB. Kholiqzoda is scheduled to visit Japan from 25 to 28 June 2025 to participate in Tajikistan's National Day events at the Expo 2025 in Osaka.

Awards and honours Represented the President of Tajikistan in presenting the Order of Dusti to the President of the Islamic Development Bank for contributions to bilateral cooperation.