DUSHANBE, April 28, 2011, Asia-Plus — Debts of Barqi Tojik power holding (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in the country) now amount to 698.8 million somoni (equivalent to more than US$134.4 million), with nearly half of them being tax debts (317 million somoni).
The Barqi Tojik head Abdullo Yorov remarked this at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 27. According to him, Barqi Tojik now owes 159.3 million somoni to Sangtudinskaya GES-1, which operates the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant. “Besides, the power holding owes US$69 million to the Ministry of Finance (loans provided for implementation of energy sector enhancement projects), 71.7 million somoni to Orienbonk, and 57.1 million to Regar-Kabel (cable manufacturing plant),” said Yorov, “The company is also in debt to other companies and organizations.”
On the tax payments, the Barqi Tojik top manager noted that the power holding has paid 52.1 million somoni in taxes since the beginning of this year. “However, tax arrears remain high,” he said. According to him, they have reached an agreement with the Tax Committee on monthly payment of 12 million somoni in taxes.
“As far as our receivables are concerned, they will be repaid gradually as payments for electricity consumption are received, Yorov added.
Over the first three months of this year, Tajikistan has reportedly generated 3.651 billion kWh of electrical power.
