DUSHANBE, April 28, Asia-Plus — The situation has forced us to apply to the government for permission to raise electricity rates, Sharifkhon Samiyev, the head of Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 25.
According to him, it is a compulsory measure connected with the upcoming modernization of the energy sector, renewal of technological equipment and increase in wage of power-engineering specialists.
“It is natural process, because other ministries and organizations have doubled or even tripled prices of their products and services over the past several years,” the Barqi Tojik head said.
“The public and enterprises’ debts of many millions impede development of the energy sector,“ said Samiyev. “Thus, the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources alone now owes 41.7 million somonis to Barqi Tojik, and the public electricity debts have to date amounted to 43 million somonis.”
Experts have studied the situation and concluded that modernization of the sector requires investments, he said.
“We cannot be indifferent to outflow of specialists and should to carry out technical modernization effectively. If we do not do this today, tomorrow will be to late,” Samiyev said.
