DUSHANBE, November 4, Asia-Plus – A sudden spike in natural gas and electricity prices will affect the textile industry in Tajikistan, the deputy industries minister, Abdukarim Hikmatov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
Uzbekistan’s intention to nearly double the price of its natural gas in the coming months, Hikmatov noted, will seriously affect Tajikistan’s industrial sector, leading to an increase in the prices of the product that, in its turn, will lower the competitiveness of Tajik goods on the world market.
According to him, Tajik export of textiles output has amounted to more than US $27 million over the first three quarters of this year. Over the same nine-month period, Tajikistan has manufactured 126.4 million somonis (equivalent to more than US $37 million) worth of textile output.
Hikmatov noted that the Khujand-based joint ventures Tajik Kabool-Textiles, Abreshim (Silk), Textile City and Javoni account for the majority of Tajikistan’s textile exports. ”The products of these enterprises, cottons, silks, yarns, jeans cloth, as well as finished articles, are exported mainly to the CIS states, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy and Iran, the deputy ministers said.
Hikmatov noted that last year, Tajikistan produced 153,000 tons of cotton fiber. He said only 13 percent of the cotton fiber Tajikistan produced last year was processed into manufactured goods in Tajikistan; the remainder was exported for manufacture outside the country.
”Our immediate task is in creating conditions for processing all of our cotton n the country by 2015,” said Hikmatov. “Next year, four new textiles enterprises are expected to be put into operation in Tajikistan and by 2010, we plan to have a total of 25 such enterprises.” The enterprises will be established largely due to foreign investments, according to him.
According to the Ministry of Industry, 13 textile enterprises with a total capacity of 57,000 tons of processed cotton fiber per year. However, they are currently using only 30 percent of their capacity.
The Tajik antimonopoly agency head Rahmonali Amirov noted that beginning on January 1 2007, Tajikistan may raise electricity supplies prices. He said the energy ministry proposes to raise electricity supplies prices by 40 percent. At present the public pays for electric power at the rate of 0.016 somoni per on KWh for the determined rate of 250 kWh, and 0.027 somoni per on kWh for electricity used in excess of those determined 250 kWh.
Uzbekistan’s gas supply company, Uztransgaz, said it will charge Tajikistan $100 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in 2007.
