DUSHANBE, November 18, 2015, Asia-Plus – About 2 billion somoni are expected to be spent next year for construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), a source in the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
Construction of the Roghun HPP, blocking the Vakhsh River, will begin next month, the source said.
“Most likely, construction of the dam will start on December 22, when Tajikistan marks the Power Engineering Specialist Day,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state budget for this year earmarked 1.6 billion somoni for construction for the Roghun HPP.
We will recall that Tajikistan founded Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) NBO Roghun for completing the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in April 2008 after it formally revoked a contract with Russia”s RusAl aluminum company for the construction of the Roghun HPP in August 2007. The Tajik government accused the Russian company of failing to fulfill the contract signed in 2004. Tajik authorities and RusAl became bogged down in the hydroelectric plant”s dam model and height, crucial factors in its capacity.
To raise funds to complete construction of the Roghun HPP the government started to sell shares in Roghun to people on January 6, 2010. Tajikistan has reportedly issued 6 billion somoni worth of 5 million Roghun shares.
According to the Ministry of Finance, more than 804.7 million somoni have been raised from the sale of shares.
2.2 billion U.S. dollars are reportedly needed for completion of the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant.
By president’s decree issued in February last year the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant is exempted from paying taxes. The president, in particular, decrees to exempt the Roghun HPP construction owner and general contractor from paying value added tax (VAT), road tax, wealth tax, profit tax, transport tax, social tax for foreign nationals engaged in construction of the plant, and state duties for registration of emission prospects of non-state securities during the period of constriction of the plant.
