Top manager of Tajik-Chinese Joint Venture (JV) Zarafshon (formerly Zeravshan Gold Company), Mr. Chang Ho Lin (phonetically spelled), last week met in Khujand with acting governor of the Sughd province, Rajabboiy Ahmadzoda.
According to the Sughd administration press center, Ahmadzoda and Chang discussed issues related to activities of the company in province.
Both sides reportedly expressed satisfaction with support provided by the Tajik government for resumption of operations of JV Zarafshon, which had temporarily suspended its operations due to the expiration of the term of its operating license.
2,100 people now work for JV Zarafshon and the company last year reportedly produced more than 1.3 billion somoni worth of output.
Ahmadzoda and Chang discussed the possibility of increasing the volume of production this year to 1.8 billion somoni, the Sughd administration press center.
Meanwhile, JV Zarafshon reportedly committed itself to complete construction of a new kindergarten to accommodate 240 children, new school to accommodate and 640 pupils and a 15-kilometer road in the northern city of Panjakent by March 21 this year.
Tajik-Chinese Joint Venture (JV) Zarafshon (formerly Zervashan Gold Company), which is the largest gold mining company in Tajikistan, has resumed operations.
Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC) was launched as a joint venture with Nelson Resources Ltd (44%) and the Tajikistan government (51%) and the IFC (5%) in 1994. In September 2002, Avocet signed a heads of agreement to acquire the Tajik gold assets of Toronto-based Nelson Resources Ltd held through Nelson’s subsidiary, Commonwealth and British Minerals Ltd. The assets included a 44% interest in ZGC. In November 2004, Avocet increased its equity interest in ZGC from 49% to 75%. In late July 2007, Avocet sold its equity stake in ZGC to China’s Zijin Mining.
JV Zarafshon owns gold mining and exploration rights to a 300,000-hectare area near the town of Panjakent in northern Tajikistan.
Tajikistan has 137 deposits with estimated reserves of industrial gold and 127 deposits of non-industrial gold. Tajikistan plans to increase annual production of gold to 17 tons beginning on 2022.
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.
