DUSHANBE, January 7, Asia-Plus — New electricity rates with effect from January 1 have been introduced in Tajikistan, Asia-Plus has learned at Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.
The source at Barqi Tojik said that prices of electricity are expected to increase by some 20 percent. “The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade is currently elaborating the more exact electricity rates,” the source said.
According to unofficial sources, a 250kW quota has been canceled. We will recall that according to the previous tariffs, residential customers paid 2.4 dirams for usage of up to 250 kWh of electricity, and 3.8 dirams for usage in excess that that amount.
This 250kW quota has been canceled and now residential customers will pay in accordance with consolidated tariff, the rate of which is currently being fixed.
The Barqi Tojik officials say the rising electricity rates came 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.
The Barqi Tojik source says if they fail to raise electricity rates gradually, it will not be possible to recoup the investments the country is currently making to build hydropower plants and power grids.
According to him, the average price of one kWh of electricity should reach 2.5 cents (equivalent to 8.6 dirams) by 2010.
Tajikistan has the greatest hydroelectric capacity in Central Asia, with an estimated potential to produce over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually; however its hydropower plants currently produce only about 17 billion kWh of electricity annually. Tajikistan is the only country in Central Asia that faces severe seasonal power shortages, with towns and villages receiving electricity only for several hours during the early mornings and evenings. Electricity rationing introduced in all regions of the country except the capital of Dushanbe during winter months results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to some six hours – three hours of electricity in the morning and three in the evening.
