The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, instructed to take measures to fully ensure the domestic market of the country with cement produced domestically, reports the press service of the head of state.
According to the instruction, it is planned to build and commission four new cement plants in various regions of the republic within the next 2–3 years.
The total capacity of the enterprises will amount to about 6 million tons of cement per year.
It is expected that the implementation of the project will allow:
– to double cement production in the country;
– to fully cover domestic demand;
– to ensure stable supplies of construction materials at affordable prices.
In addition, around 5,000 jobs will be created at the new enterprises, the message notes.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan is preparing urgent measures to stabilize cement prices.
The President instructed to urgently address the issue of rising cement prices
At a government meeting on May 28, Emomali Rahmon instructed to prepare measures for stabilizing the situation in the cement market as soon as possible.
The responsible agencies have been given a week to develop proposals to solve the problem.
According to the information presented at the meeting, the capacities of the cement industry have significantly increased in recent years.
However, despite the increase in production, there are still supply disruptions in the domestic market and a rise in product prices is observed.
Among the main reasons cited are insufficient coordination between enterprises, incomplete loading of production capacities, weak market control, and the activities of trading intermediaries.
It was also noted that some plants halted operations for repairs during the active construction season, which further exacerbated the situation.
The authorities believe that some cases of unjustified price increases are linked to the actions of intermediaries and dealers.
Emomali Rahmon emphasized that further increases in cement prices could negatively affect housing construction, the implementation of social projects, and the pace of economic development in the country.
The President instructed the Ministry of Industry to ensure full loading of cement plants and market control, while the Antimonopoly Service was tasked with checking the activities of intermediaries and retail networks.
A number of ministries and agencies are to focus on logistics, energy supply, and stable cement supplies. The State Material Reserves Agency and the Tojikmatlubot Consumer Association have been instructed to organize the purchase and sale of cement in remote regions.
Cement prices have risen across the country
Earlier, Asia-Plus reported that cement prices in Tajikistan sharply increased and a shortage of products arose in several regions.
In Dushanbe, over the past week, the price of a bag of cement has risen from 50 to 70–75 somoni. The products appear irregularly in construction markets and are quickly bought out.
A similar situation is observed in the Khatlon and Sughd regions, where prices reached 75–85 somoni per bag depending on the manufacturer.
Particularly acute shortages are noted in Khorog, where local residents say that there has been almost no cement in the markets for about a month, and prices can reach up to 90 somoni per bag.
Sellers and market participants associate the price increase with repairs at cement plants, high construction demand, a reduction in supplies to the regions, and an increase in exports to Afghanistan. Producers, however, claim that they have not significantly raised wholesale prices, and the price increase is linked to intermediaries and dealers.
