DUSHANBE, January 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s industrial production volume is expected to rise 7-8 percent in the year to December 31, 2009, according to Deputy energy and Industries Minister, Poulod Muhiddinov.
He told a press conference in Dushanbe on January 26 that production of industrial goods decreased by 4 percent last year. In 2008, the country produced a total of 5.905 billion somoni (equivalent to 1.687 billion US dollars) worth of industrial goods.
Last year’s decrease in the industrial production volume resulted, first of all, from decreasing production volumes at Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco), enterprises of Barqi Tojik power holding, Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) and the cotton-processing enterprises, the deputy minister noted. According to him, production volumes at Talco decreased by 108.2 million somoni, Barqi Tojik enterprises by 62 million somoni, Tojikcement by 52.8 million somoni and the cotton-processing enterprises by 100 million somoni.
In 2008, only 497 enterprises 397, or 61.9 percent of the overall number of industrial enterprises in the country (798), exceeded the 2007 production level, Muhiddinov said.
