Following amendments to Tajikistan’s Criminal Code adopted in 2025, the country has seen a gradual decline in illegal electricity consumption. This was announced by Mahmadumar Asozoda, CEO of OJSC Barqi Tojik (the state-run power generation company), at a news conference in Dushanbe on February 3.
According to Asozoda, the legislative changes prompted the government to establish a special task force operating nationwide on a permanent basis to identify and prevent the misuse and illegal consumption of electricity.
He said the measures have led to a 1.6 billion somoni increase in domestic electricity bill collection, equivalent to approximately $170 million.
“Of this amount, 900 million somoni were allocated to reducing Barqi Tojik’s outstanding debt,” Asozoda said.
Overall, he noted, the company’s total debt fell by 2.6 billion somoni (around $280 million) in 2025 — from about 24.2 billion somoni at the beginning of the year to 21.6 billion somoni by year’s end.
Asozoda explained that much of the debt had accumulated due to unpaid electricity supplied by domestic power producers, including Sangtuda-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP), Sangtuda-2 HPP, and Roghun HPP, as well as from external loans attracted to finance investment projects in the energy sector.
In April 2025, Tajikistan adopted amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses introducing liability for illegal and unauthorized use of electricity. The changes were aimed at reducing losses in the energy sector and improving payment discipline among consumers.
