DUSHANBE, August 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco) is disputing claims by the Tajik power company Barqi Tojik that it owes some 96 million somoni ($22 million) in unpaid electricity bills, RFE/RL”s Tajik Service reported on August 11.
Barqi Tojik said last week that Talco should repay the debt urgently.
But Talco — Tajikistan”s greatest industrial asset — said on August 7 that it owed 96 million somoni to Barqi Tojik from 1996-2004 but that in 2005 the government issued a special order and restructured Talco”s debt, writing off some 60 million somoni.
Talco, which consumes some 40 percent of Tajikistan”s electricity, says it paid Barqi Tojik 6 million somoni and renovated the Tajik nitrogen plant and gave it to Barqi Tojik.
Talco added that it paid $52 million this winter for the export of electricity from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan, which was used not only by Talco but also by Barqi Tojik customers.
Barqi Tojik reportedly owes some $10 million to Tajiktransgas for natural gas and more than $20 million to the Sangtuda-1 hydropower station for energy.
Barqi Tojik said the Tajik Water Resources Ministry and some other strategic companies besides TALCO have not yet repaid their debts to Barqi Tojik.
