KHUJAND, November 17, 2008, Asia-Plus — Tajik-Canadian gold-mining joint venture “Aprelevka” is taking efforts to make up leeway.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Sodiq Rustamov, the head of the Sughd energy and industry directorate, said that Aprelevka had stood idle for three months this year because of electricity shortages and “they now intend to increase production of precious metals.”
According to him, the enterprise has reached 94.8 percent of the 2007 level. “In October, Aprelevka produced gold 16.2 percent more than in the same period of last year,” Rustamov said, noting that the enterprise intends to have reached last year’s level by the end of the year.
“The enterprise has potentials necessary for this,” said the Sughd official, “Aprelevka has launched a new floatation workshop and has begun development of two new gold and silver deposits.”
The Tajik-Canadian gold-mining joint venture Aprelevka was established in the Sughd province of Tajikistan in 1995. The company is engaged in mining and processing of ores at Aprelevka, Kyzyl-Cheku, Burgunda, Ekiljon and other small deposits in northern Tajikistan. Dore alloy is the finished product of this enterprise. Tajikistan owns 51 percent of the shares and the Canadian company Gulf International Minerals assumes the 49% ownership interest in the joint-stock company Aprelevka.
