DUSHANBE, December 26, 2008, Asia-Plus — Uzbekistan has cut natural-gas shipments to Tajikistan by half due to payment delays. Tajikistan frequently runs into debt in paying for Uzbek natural gas, and Uzbekistan often responds by suspending supplies.
According to a source at Tojikgaz, (Tajik state natural-gas-distributor), over the past several days, Uzbekistan has reduced natural-gas supplies from 70,000 cubic meters per hour to 35,000 cubic meters. “Uzbekistan has cut natural-gas shipment due to payment delays,” said the source, “A couple of day ago, we have transferred 3 million dollars to Uztransgaz, the state gas producer in Uzbekistan, but it is inconsiderable part of our debt. We now owe roughly $8 million in arrears to Uzbekistan.”
He added that because of Uzbekistan”s move, Tojikgaz currently continued natural-gas supplies only Talco (Tajik Aluminum Company) and the Dushanbe heat station as well as private consumers who have no unpaid gas bills.
“Yesterday, we cut off natural gas supplies to closed-joint-stock company Tojikazot and the Dushanbe cement plant, which now owe 5.5 million somoni and 4.3 million somoni respectively to Tojikgaz,” the source said.
In the meantime, the Tojikgaz top managers are departing for Tashkent today to continue consultations on prices of Uzbek natural gas for 2009.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Tojikgaz director Fathiddin Muhsiddinov said that Uzbekistan had set the price of natural-gas supplies for Tajikistan at $300 per 1,000 cubic meters, a 100 percent increase over the current price. According to him, this price does not suit the Tajik side and they intend to continue gas price decrease negotiations.
Tajikistan intends to purchase 550 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan in 2009, according to Tojikgaz.
