DUSHANBE


, January 25, Asia-Plus — The British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) FM radio service in


Dushanbe

,

Tajikistan


, was suspended January 11, and a


U.S.


diplomat says he hopes the interruption in programming is only temporary.

“The


United States


is aware that the head of the Tajik Committee for TV and Radio Broadcasting denied any political motivations behind the suspension,” said Kyle Scott, Charg? D’affaires for the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

“We hope that this is indeed the case, and that the suspension of BBC programming is only temporary and due merely to a bureaucratic oversight,” Scott said in a January 19 statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in


Vienna

,

Austria


.

A January 13 report by the


OSCE


Center


in


Dushanbe


found that the FM service was suspended because the British broadcasting service had not properly registered with


Tajikistan


’s Justice Ministry.

“Unfortunately, BBC was given very little notice about the need to re-register,” Scott said.  He noted that


Tajikistan


, as a participating state, has accepted OSCE standards that state “… independent media are essential to a free and open society and accountable systems of government and are of particular importance in safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms.” 

“The


United States


calls on


Tajikistan


to continue its efforts to take all necessary steps to ensure the basic conditions for free and independent media,” Scott said.

He added that “with a Tajik presidential election scheduled for the end of 2006, it is crucial that independent media be allowed to operate unhindered in Tajikistan well in advance of election day in order for the election to meet OSCE standards.”

DUSHANBE


, January 24, Asia-Plus — This year’s budget has stipulated expenditure of 46.353 million Somonis on development of the transportation sector in the republic, Deputy Transport Minister, Khudoyor Khudoyorov, told journalists on Monday January 23.  

Of this amount, more than 18 million Somonis will go to rehabilitating automotive roads in


Tajikistan


, he said, adding that the government will have provided further 1.195 million Somonis this year for the construction of roads and bridges.    

The Tajik transportation official noted that last year, the ministry’s revenues amounted to 147.5 million Somonis and its expenditures amounted to 121.466 million Somonis.  “The ministry’s net profit amounted to 26.075 million Somonis last year,” Khudoyorov said.  

During the news conference it was noted that the construction of the Anzob tunnel was ongoing and it would be put into operation by the date fixed – by March 21 this year.  

DUSHANBE


, January 24, Asia-Plus — Senior representatives from the Transport Ministry gave a news conference on January 23 to report on the results of work carried by the ministry in 2005.   .

During the news conference it was noted that


Tajikistan


’s rolling stock was in a poor state.  Deputy Transport Minister, Khudoyor Khudoyorov speaking to journalists said: “Some 80 percent of the country’s rolling stock has outlived its usefulness and it is necessary to buy new carriages.”  He added that annually, Tajik Railways bought two carriages costing US$800,000 each, “but it is not enough.” 

“Enhancement of


Tajikistan


’s transportation sector requires considerable investments,” noted the Tajik transportation official, “For this purpose, the Ministry of Transport is cooperating with many international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank (WB), OPEC and the Kuwaiti Fund.”   

According to him, due to this cooperation three investment projects were completed in 2005 – the construction of the road Shkev-Zighar, highway from Qurghon Teppa via Danghara to Kulob, as well as rehabilitation of the road Dusti-Panji Poyon and Dushanbe-Khujand-Buston-Chanak, etc.  

QURGHON TEPPA, January 24, Asia-Plus – On Tuesday January 24, organization of the Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) for



Khatlon


Province


held its constituent assembly in Qurghon Teppa.  

The conference brought together representatives of the party from 25 districts of the region.  Abdusalom Mirzoyev, head of the municipal economy department within the Qurghon Teppa mayor’s office, was elected head of the APT organization for Khatlon and Hodi Abdurrahmonov, deputy head of the Khatlon Agriculture Administration, was elected his deputy.  

The conference also elected nine members of the administration of the APT organization for Khatlon.  Nematullo Kholmurodov, the APT deputy chairman, represented the party’s central committee at the conference.    

Mr. Kholmurodov has said in his interview with Asia-Plus that their party supports policy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDPT), adding that they have practically the same objects and the party’s rules.    

DUSHANBE, January 24, Asia-Plus – “To date individual projects have been worked out for reorganizing, giving in concession or external management 37 subjects of natural monopoly and especially large enterprises of Tajikistan,” Sherali Gulov, Chairman of the State Committee for Management of State-owned Property, told journalists on January 24.  

He noted that 27 of those enterprises were under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Energy.  According to him, to date, the government has already endorsed the individual project for restructuring the State Unitary Enterprise “Tojiksement” (Dushanbe cement plant) and consideration of the individual project for restructuring the Joint-Stock Company (JSC) “Tojik Telecom” (Tajik fixed-line operator) is nearing completion.  

“US$22 million are need for the



Dushanbe


cement plant’s working in full capacity, ” said Gulov, “And US$15 million are need for the JSC “Tojik Telecom.”

Chairman of the State Committee for Management of State-owned Property noted that the individual projects for restructuring the remaining 25 large enterprises had been sent for consideration to the ministries of finance, economy and justice.  

“To study international experience in tackling this problem representatives from the interested ministries and organizations have visited


Hungary


,


Turkey


and


Kazakhstan


,” Gulov said.  

DUSHANBE, January 24, Asia-Plus – Throughout the republic during 2005, 670 real estate properties, including 521 small and 149 medium and large enterprises, were privatized, Sherali Gulov, Chairman of the State Committee for Management of State-owned Property, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 24.  

According to him, as of


January 1 2006

(since the beginning of privatization), 8,707 properties have been privatized in


Tajikistan


.  In total, 9,271 properties are to be privatized throughout


Tajikistan


during 2003-2007.  

“Last year, an amount received from privatization of the state-owned properties was 43.503 million Somonis,” said Gulov, “Of this amount, 6.698 million Somonis were received from privatization of municipal properties.” 

“To date, the so-called “small” privatization [privatization of small privatization – Asia-Plus] has already completed,” Sherali Gulov concluded.

            KHUJAND, January 24, Asia-Plus – A machinery-assembling plant in the Tajik northern city of



Chkalovsk


is capable to produce fittings for Sangtuda and Roghun hydropower plants being constructed in the republic as well as for the Tajik Aluminum Plant (TadAZ).

            The plant director Shavkat Bobojonov told Asia-Plus this today morning.  He noted that at present the main contractor to the plants’ output were enterprises in the


Russian Federation


, the Khujand-based joint venture “Kabool Tajik Textiles”, and Adrasman ore refinery.

            In 2005, the plant produced 677,474 Somonis’ worth of output, which is 9.9 percent more than the determined target, according to the Asia-Plus interlocutor.          

 

DUSHANBE


, January 24, Asia-Plus — In 2005, 738 Tajiks citizens were deported to


Tajikistan


straight from Russian airports, and 436 others were not allowed to flight to


Russia


by Tajik border guards at


Dushanbe


airport, Asia-Plus has learned from Saidqadam Zohirov, aide to the Tajik transportation prosecutor. 

According to him, of those returned from the Russian airports, more than 400 people had earlier been deported from


Russia


and had no right to travel to


Russia


during five years.  “The others were returned because they had overdue passports or for other technical reasons,” the Asia-Plus interlocutor said, noting that many of those deported even did not know that they are prohibited from returning to the


Russian Federation


.  

“In order to avoid such situations, in the first half-year of 2005, we applied to Tajikistan’s Border Protection Committee and Foreign Ministry asking to resolve the issue of presentation by Russia of a list of the deported Tajik citizens at diplomatic level,” said Zohirov, “But have not yet received response to our letter.”

A damage caused by such problems to the Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston” last year amounted to 140,000 U.S. dollars.  “Although those returned people were supposed to pay for coming back to


Tajikistan


by themselves they, however, paid only some 5 percent of a total amount,” Zohirov said.