DUSHANBE, January 10, Asia-Plus — By resolution of December 30, 2007 Tajikistan’s government approved new electricity prices.
Toshpoulod Rabiyev, head of the antimonopoly directorate of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), told Asia-Plus that the electricity prices had risen on average by 20 percent.
As it had been reported earlier, under new electricity rates introduced with effect from January 1, residential consumers now pay 3.2 dirams per one kWh of electrical power.
A 250 kWh quota was canceled. Last year, residential customers paid 2.4 dirams per one kWh for usage of up to 250 kWh of electricity, and 3.8 dirams for usage in excess of that amount. This 250kW quota was canceled and now residential customers pay in accordance with consolidated tariff – 3.2 dirams per one kWh.
The new prices are 5.3 dirams against the previous 4.4 dirams for industrial enterprises, 9.3 dirams (7.7 dirams) for agricultural enterprises, except dairy and poultry farms, 2.9 dirams (2.4 dirams) for institutions funded from the budget, and 9.3 dirams (7.7 dirams) for commercial enterprises.
We will recall that Tajik energy authorities noted that the rising electricity rates had come in response to recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in order to make the country”s hydroelectric power sector more attractive to investors.
According to them, to recoup the investments the country is currently making to built hydropower plants and electricity-transmission lines they have to gradually raise electricity rates. the average price of one kWh of electricity should reach 2.5 cents (equivalent to 8.6 dirams) by 2010.
