Fire at half-built Ismoili Somoni Hotel in Dushanbe has been caused by misuse of electricity, Karomatullo Abdulloyev, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry Fire Directorate, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“Fire broke out at the half-built hotel on Monday at 10:55 am during construction work. Fire covered approximately 200 square meters,” said Abdulloyev. “According to the preliminary data, the fire was caused by misuse of electricity by builders.”
“Twelve fire engines participated in extinguishing the fire and it was extinguished at the earliest possible time,” Abdulloyev said, noting that no inured was reported.
According to him, a special commission will assess the actual damage caused to the building by the fire.
Recall, a long lasting construction of a 5-star “Ismoili Somoni” Hotel in Dushanbe was expected to be completed before the end of 2018 and to be put in commission this year. Ismoili Somoni Hotel is being constructed for already thirteen years.
The head of the Committee for Architecture and Construction under the Government of Tajikistan, Jamshed Ahmadzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on July 19 last year that he is sure that the construction of the Ismoili Somoni Hotel will be completed before the end of 2018 and it will be put in commission in 2019.
He stressed that all building materials used for construction of this hotel meet the accepted quality standards. Ahmadzoda denied information that the company constructing the hotel had been exempted from paying taxes as “baseless.” “Special government’s decree is needed for exemption from customs duties and taxes,” Ahmadzoda said.
Meanwhile, under the law on Tajikistan’s national budget for 2018, which was endorsed by the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament) on November 29, 2017, the company constructing Ismoili Somoni Hotel was exempted from paying value added tax (VAT) and customs duties once again.
The construction of Ismoili Somoni Hotel officially commenced in Dushanbe on March 15, 2006.
