DUSHANBE, December 5, 2009, Asia-Plus — The UK-based charitable foundation, Varorud, has called on Persian-speaking people (Tajiks, Afghans and Iranians) living in the United Kingdom and other countries of Europe as well as the United States to provide financial assistance to Tajikistan to build the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), BBC’s Persian Service reported on December 4.
Despite the fact that construction of the Roghun HPP has caused political disagreements between Tajikistan and a number of Central Asia’s countries, in particular Uzbekistan, the foundation management says that it does not pursue any political goals; it just wants to help the Tajik people who are experiencing severe electricity shortages during the winter period, according to BBC’s Persian Service.
The foundation Varorud’s appeal means cooperation with and support for Tajikistan and does not have any political motives, the foundation chairperson, Ms. Zahra Jazairi said in an interview with BBC.
According to her, financial problems and difficulties raised by neighbors have been and remain the main reasons for occurrence of energy crisis in Tajikistan. Now, when Tajikistan decided to construct the Roghun plant on its own, each person having an open hand must make contribution to this initiative, providing assistance to Tajik people. Completion of construction of the Roghun HPP means the end of suffering for Tajik people, Ms. Jazairi said.
We will recall that the Tajik head of state said in early November that he is confident that the Tajik people will do everything they can to help complete the Roghun hydroelectricity project. Tajik lawmakers have expanded the effort by calling on people to buy shares in Roghun that would be made available for trading on the country”s stock market in 2010.
The government is currently developing the scheme of issuance of the Roghun shares and the face value of share is expected to be 100 somoni.
Speaking in the northern city of Qairoqqum, President Emomali Rahmon noted on December 1 that some 600 million U.S. dollars are needed to introduce the first line (two units) of the plant into operation; for this, all Tajik families, except the vulnerable ones, should buy shares in Roghun for not less than 3,000 somoni each. Rahmon stressed in his speech that shares in Roghun would be realized only to citizens of Tajikistan. While an estimated $3 billion would be needed to complete the project as originally envisioned, with all six generating units.
