Nearly one-third of household electricity debt accumulated in previous years in Tajikistan has been declared unjustified and written off. Energy authorities are currently reviewing the remaining portion.
According to Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Power Distribution Networks (PDN), total household electricity debt stood at 1.739 billion somoni at the beginning of 2025. By early 2026, it had decreased by 33.2% — or 577 million somoni — to 1.162 billion somoni.
The company stated that the written-off amount had been artificially inflated and represented accounting overstatements. These entries were removed from financial records. The review of the remaining debt continues, and any additional unjustified charges will also be canceled.
Consumers with correctly recorded debts must repay them, although installment plans are available. During the verification process, households listed as debtors for past years will not be disconnected. Disconnections apply only to current unpaid bills.
As of January 1, current arrears amounted to just over 25 million somoni — about 1% of the total electricity supplied to households in 2025.
Sector reform and investigations
The Power Distribution Networks company was established in 2021 following energy sector restructuring. It handles electricity distribution and billing, while Barqi Tojik focuses on generation.
In 2023, the company reported discovering “non-existent consumers” in its billing system used to mask electricity losses. At the time, total accumulated debt reached 3.7 billion somoni, more than 40% attributed to households.
Officials say recent reforms — including a new billing system, relocation of meters outside homes, SMS notifications, and stricter penalties for tampering — have significantly reduced current household debt.
Presidential remarks and criminal cases
In his December 2025 address to parliament, President Emomali Rahmon accused certain energy sector employees of artificially inflating household debt. He stated that after introducing the new billing system, payment rates were found to be close to 100%.
In 2025, 125 employees were dismissed and prosecuted. Authorities identified over 321 million kWh in false entries worth 106 million somoni. Administrative cases were filed against 406 employees, and more than 130 criminal cases were launched.
Financial results and loss reduction
In 2025, PDN supplied over 16.8 billion kWh worth more than 7.1 billion somoni. Actual collections totaled about 6.5 billion somoni, with shortfalls largely attributed to budget institutions and major industrial consumers.
Total outstanding debt across all categories exceeded 3.6 billion somoni ($380+ million) as of January 1, 2026.
Major electricity debtors in Tajikistan as of January 1, 2026
(with account of previous years' debt)
Total debt: 3 billion 634.8 million somoni (approximately $390 million)
· Residential customers: 1.2 million somoni
· TALCO (Tajik Aluminum Company): 823.8 million somoni
· Irrigation Agency’s pump stations: 279.7 million somoni
· Waterworks: 126.8 million somoni
· Federally paid institutions: 111.7 million somoni
· OJSC NBO Roghun: 97.5 million somoni
· Other consumers: more than 1 billion somoni
At the same time, electricity distribution losses fell from 19.2% to 15.6%, which the company attributes to smart meter installations and network modernization.
Experts say increased transparency and continued reforms could strengthen public trust and improve the financial stability of the energy sector.
