DUSHANBE, July 28, 2016, Asia-Plus – Over the first six months of this year, gold mining companies operating in Tajikistan have produced 2,096 kilograms of gold, which is 2 percent more than in the same period last year, Tajik Minister of Industry and New Technologies Shavkat Bobozoda told reporters in Dushanbe on July 28.
According to him, most of gold has been produced by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC).
“ZGC has reportedly produced 1,500 kilograms of gold over the report period,” Bakhtiyor Sharipov, the head of the Mining Department of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, said.
“This year, we plan to produce gold no less than in 2015,” Sharipov said, noting that Tajikistan last year produced 3,800 kilograms of gold.
“As far as the silver production is concerned, it has remained at the same level,” said the minister. “Over the first six months of this year, Tajikistan has produced 1,253 kilograms of silver, which was just one kilogram more than in the same period last year.”
Tajikistan reportedly has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the largest amount of gold was produced in Tajikistan in 2015 – about 4,200 kilograms.
Four large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zeravshan Gold Company; Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka; and China Nonferrous Gold Limited, which is the first foreign company to obtain 100% ownership of a mining and exploration project in Tajikistan. Besides, a number of local enterprises such as Odina, Nazira, Ganj, Barakat and Istiqlol are engaged in gold production in the country. Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC). ZGC reportedly accounts for more than 70 percent of the total amount of gold produced in Tajikistan.
