DUSHANBE
, May 8, Asia-Plus — “Tojikgaz” (Tajik state gas concern) has to date repaid only the sixth part (US$500,000) of its US$3 million debt to “Uztransgaz”, according to information from Tajik gas concern.
“However, Uzbek gas supplies to
Tajikistan
will resume only after repayment of 80%-90% of Tojikgaz’s debt to Uztransgaz,” the source said, noting that the Tojikgaz leadership continues negotiating with the Uzbek side resumption of the natural gas supplies to
Tajikistan
.
As it had been reported earlier,
Uzbekistan
reduced gas supplies to
Tajikistan
for a large debt.
A debt of the public for gas consumption to Tojikgaz has amounted to 135 million Somonis (some US$42 million) as of May 1 this year. For the first quarter of this year alone, the public’s debt for natural gas has increased by 6 million Somonis, according to the source.
The Tajik gas concern source says the most incorrigible nonpayers are residents of
Dushanbe
; their total debt for natural gas has amounted to 75 million Somonis.
As far as large enterprises are concerned, “Tojikcement” (cement plant) and “TojikAzot” pay for the gas consumption opportunely and do not have debts.
The source says more than 296,000 families in
Tajikistan
have to date been provided with natural gas. “Of them, 195,500 families (64 percent), including 71,300 families in
Dushanbe
, have to date been provided with gas meters,” the source said.
