Compared to the nine months of 2018, Tajikistan has increased production of gold 30.2 percent and production of silver by 36.9 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT).
An official source at a MoINT says gold mining companies Zarafshon and Pakrut as well as Tajik-US JV Anzob and limited liability companies Shimsho and Guli Murod played significant role in increasing production of precious metals in the country.
“Compared to the last year, Tajikistan this year plans to increase production of gold by 10 percent and production of silver by 4.3 percent,” the source added.
Recall, Tajikistan last year produced more than 6.4 tons of gold, which was nearly 17 percent more than in 2017.
Over the past five years, production of gold has increased in Tajikistan more than three times – from 2 tons to 6.4 tons.
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.
