QURGHON TEPPA, December 27, 2011, Asia-Plus — Open joint-stock company (OJSC) Tajiktransgaz (Tajik state natural gas distributor) has reportedly refused to supply natural gas to the Sarband-based Tajikazot enterprise, which is one of largest industrial enterprises in Khatlon province.
The Tajikazot director general Tohirkhon Ghoziyev says they have applied to Tajiktransgaz for 65 million cubic meters of natural gas for 2012, “but the application has been refused.”
“They justified their refusal by saying that several sections of the gas pipeline in the Khuroson district is in a poor state despite repairs,” said Ghoziyev, “They have also offered us to participate in repair operations.”
Tajikazot has sent a letter to the government and the ministry of energy and industries, asking to help resolve the issue.
We will recall that Tajikazot has not been in operation for already three years due to large tax and energy debts. The enterprise resumed operations last summer but it operated only for eight days and then suspended its operations again because of lack of natural gas.
Last October, Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) adopted the law requiring amendments to the law on the national budget for 2011. Under this law, the value added tax (VAT) for Tajikazot was reduced from 18 to nine percent.
Closed joint-stock company (CJSC) Tajikazot is the joint venture that was launched in March 2002 in cooperation with Highrock Holding Limited, the company registered in Cyprus in 2001. The JV was established on the basis of the plant for producing nitrogen fertilizer (carbamide) that was constructed in Sarband in 1964. Tajikistan owns 20 percent of the shares and Highrock Holding Ltd assumes the 80 percent ownership interest in Tajikazot.
The enterprise with capacity of producing 180,000 tons of carbamide per year also produced industrial oxygen, carbon dioxide, liquid ammonia and liquid nitrogen.
