DUSHANBE, August 3, 2015, Asia-Plus — During a meeting of President Emomali Rahmon with regional administrators that took place in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) on July 31, Munir Habib, the head of the GBAO Fishery Association, noted that the price of energy in Gorno Badakhshan is expensive.
“In Gorno Badakhshan, the price of one kWh of electricity is 18 dirams. We have applied to the Pamir Energy Company, but they say they have a contract with the government and they cannot change it,” said Habib. “They take money from us taking into account the dollar exchange rate. We do not know what to do. This may cause trouble.”
President Rahmon reportedly promised to consider that issue and solve it to the extent possible.
Pamir Energy, an Open Joint Stock Company, was formed in 2002 by the Aga Khan Development Network (under a 25 year Concession Agreement with the Government of Tajikistan) to restore electricity services in GBAO, Tajikistan through the development of hydropower and the rehabilitation of the transmission and distribution networks. Pamir Energy is the result of combined investment: 70% provided by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and 30% by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Components of the company have been financed by AKFED, IFC, the Government of Switzerland, and through a World Bank loan provided to the Government of Tajikistan.
