In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the Minister of Industry and New Technologies Shavkat Bobozoda noted on July 26 that compared to the first half-year of 2016 production of precious metals in Tajikistan over the first six months of this year has risen 70 percent.
Bobozoda refrained from disclosing the production data, saying that production data for precious metals is classified.
The minister stressed that the precious metals industry was supported by the government and the president. “We attract large investment in this industry,” Bobozoda noted.
Meanwhile, the head of the mining industry and precious metals department at the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, Bakhtiyor Sharipov, told reporters that production of gold has increased by 15-22 percent and production of silver has increased by 64 percent over the first six months of this year.
According to him, all precious metals produced in Tajikistan are being purchased by the country’s financial institutions for supporting the national currency exchange rate. “Precious metals are being purchased by the National Bank of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Finance for foreign currency at the international prices,” Sharipov added.
Recall, Shavkat Bobozoda told reporters in Dushanbe on January 25 this year that Tajikistan last year produced 5 tons of gold, which was 500 kilograms more compared to 2015.
The Tajik-Chinese joint venture (JV), Zarafshon, reportedly produced 3,300 kilograms of gold last year, state-run enterprise Tilloi Tojik – 570 kilograms, Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka – 590 kilograms, and the remaining amount of gold was produced last year by a number of local small gold mining enterprises.
Meanwhile, China Nonferrous Gold Limited, which is currently mining the Pakrut Gold Project in Tajikistan, is expected to produce 500 kilograms of gold this year.
As far as production of silver is concerned, Tajikistan last year produced 3,200 kilograms of silver, which was 200 kilograms more compared to 2015. 98 percent of Tajikistan silver is reportedly exported to the European countries.
Tajikistan reportedly has 137 deposits with estimated reserves of industrial gold and 127 deposits of non-industrial gold.
Four large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zarafshon; Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka; and China Nonferrous Gold Limited, which is the first foreign company to obtain 100% ownership of a mining and exploration project in Tajikistan. Besides, enterprises such as Odina, Nazira, Ganj, Barakat and Istiqlol are engaged in gold production in the country.
Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zarafshon, which reportedly accounts for more than 70 percent of the total amount of gold produced in Tajikistan.
