DUSHANBE, April 26, 2010, Asia-Plus — The tax collection target for the first three months of this year has been overfulfilled by 8.4 percent and 617.9 million somoni have been transferred to the country’s budget, which is 140.8 million somoni more than in the same period last, the Tax Committee head Nusratullo Davlatov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 26.
“In the meantime, we have reached only 40 percent of the water royalty target, 87 percent of the excise tax target, 97 percent of road use tax target, and 88 percent of the goods processing tax target for the report period, and therefore the country’s budget has received some 7.7 million somoni less,” Davlatov said.
Asked about the water royalties, he noted that water royalties are paid by hydropower plants that generate more than 1,000 kWh of electricity per day.
“The water royalties were introduced in the country on July 1, 2009 and the budget last year received only 2 million somoni from payment of the water royalties against the originally planned 25 million somoni,” said, Davlatov, “This year, 35 million somoni are projected to be transferred to the budget from payment of the water royalties, however, there are still serious problems with collection of the water royalties.”
He added that the energy sector remained one of the main tax debtors in the country. “The Sangtuda-1 station’s tax debts alone have reached some 29,000 somoni,” said the Tax Committee chief, “Besides, the Sangtuda-1 HPP owes another 2 million somoni in water royalties and this debt is continuing to increase.”
