DUSHANBE, August 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — Uzbekistan has reduced its deliveries of natural gas to Tajikistan again, reportedly over unpaid debts.
According to open-joint-stock company Tojiktransgaz (Tajik state-controlled natural-gas distributor), reduction in gas supplies introduced several days ago has affected southern Tajikistan. “If earlier, southern Tajikistan had received 10,000 cubic meters of natural gas per hour, while now it receives 7,000 cubic meters of gas per hour,” said the source at Tojiktransgaz, “In all, Tajikistan currently receives some 11,000 cubic meters of natural gas per hour from Uzbekistan.”
The source added Tojiktransgaz now owes more than 16 million U.S. dollars to Uzbek gas companies, $2.4 million of which is owed by Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant).
“Reduction in gas supplies and Tojikcement’s gas debts have forced us to cut off gas supplies to this enterprise,” the source said.
In the meantime, according to the source, under an agreement on mutual settlement of accounts reached between Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, Uzbekenergo, Tojiktransgaz and Uztransgaz, Barqi Tojik supplies 500 million kWh of electrical power to Uzbekenergo in August-September this year and Uzbekenergo, for its part, transfers funds to Uztransgaz. “A full report on operation of this scheme we will receive in late September,” the source said.
This year, Uzbekistan sells its natural gas to Tajikistan for US$240 per 1,000 cubic meters. Tajikistan plans to buy some 550 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan this year.
