2005 (c) Interfax Information Services, BCommercial News Tajikistan
March 2005
Jamshed Rahmonberdiev, BISNIS Representative in Tajikistan
This Commercial News Update covers the following:
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Energy
TAJIKISTAN AND PAKISTAN ENERGY MINISTERS SIGNED MEMORANDUM FOR POWER
TRANSMISSION LINE CONSTRUCTION
pOWER TRANSMISSION LINE FROM TAJIKISTAN TO PAKISTAN
Pakistan knocks at Rogun project, Tajikistan to ask RUSALS opinion
AUSTRIAN COMPANY VA-TECH INTENDS TO INVEST IN CONSTRUCTION OF
HYDROPOWER PLANT IN FARKHOR
rusal to invest $20m in Rogunskaya plant this year
Pharmaceuticals
TAJIK PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND INVESTMENT COMPANY (TPIIC) TO
PRODUCE ANTI-SEPTIC BANDAIDS
Banking & Finance
ORIEN BANK OPENED AN OFFICE IN KABUL
Economy
WORLD BANK COMPLETES FIRST PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW
ON TAJIKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN PLEDGES ITSELF TO FACILITATE CREATION OF MULTILATERAL
PAYMENTS SYSTEM FREE OF RESTRICTIONS
Inflation rate in Tajikistan in February 2005 is 0.9%
tajikistan Foreign trade turnover for January-February 2005 is $300m
TAJIKISTAN GDP in Jan-Feb increaseD by 8.1%
Telecommunications
ASIALINK IS A NEW INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER IN TAJIKISTAN
Takom LLC presents its Internet project Asia Link
Oil & Gas
About 8 million m3 of gas have been extracted in Tajikistan for two
months this year
Emerging Markets
CHINESE DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TAJIKISTAN TO BOLSTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
COOPERATION PLANS
TAJIK-TURKISH BUSINESS FORUM WAS HELD IN DUSHANBE
NEW TAJIK-TURKISH JOINT VENTURE LAUNCHED IN TAJIK CAPITAL
Air Transportation
TAJIKISTAN LAUNCHES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ISTANBUL AND MUNICH
Construction
$28 million Awarded to Build a Bridge between Nations
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Energy
TAJIKISTAN AND PAKISTAN ENERGY MINISTERS SIGNED MEMORANDUM FOR POWER
TRANSMISSION LINE CONSTRUCTION
DUSHANBE, March 30, Asia-Plus /Artyom Geivandov/ -- Tajik Minister of Energy,
Jurabek Nurmahmadov, and visiting Pakistani Minister of Energy and Water
Resources, Layakat Ali Jatoi (phonetically spelled), signed a memorandum of
understanding on the construction of the power transmission line from Tajikistan
to Pakistan.
POWER TRANSMISSION LINE FROM TAJIKISTAN TO PAKISTAN
DUSHANBE, 31 March Avesta /N. Pirnazarov/. The construction of power
transmission line from Tajikistan to Pakistan will begin in late 2005.
According to Pakistans Minister of Energy a meeting of bilateral commission is
scheduled for June 2005 in Dushanbe and Pakistan is looking into financing this
project.
Pakistan knocks at Rogun project, Tajikistan to ask RUSAL opinion
DUSHANBE, 30 March Avesta /N. Pirnazarov/ Tajikistan will take into account
the opinion of the Russian party in the issue of the power energy export to
Pakistan, told Avesta Jurabek Nurmahmadov, Tajik Minister of Energy today in
Dushanbe. He says the export of power energy to Pakistan is planned to begin
upon completion of the construction of the first phase of the Rogun hydropower
plant.
AUSTRIAN COMPANY "VA-TECH" INTENDS TO INVEST IN CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROPOWER PLANT
IN FARKHOR
DUSHANBE, March 30, Asia-Plus /Artyom Geivandov/ -- The Austrian company VA-TECH
intends to invest in the construction of the Kokchin hydropower plant on tbe
Pyanj River in southern Tajikistan. This project is estimated to be at around
400M.
RusAl to invest $20m in Rogunskaya plant this year
DUSHANBE, Mar 10 (Prime-Tass) -- Russia's leading aluminum producer Rusal plans
to invest approximately $20M this year in order to start the construction of the
Rogunskaya hydropower plant in Tajikistan, Tajikistan's Energy Minster Jurabek
Nurmakhmatov told ITAR-TASS.
Rusal plans to invest about $600M for construction of the first stage of the
Rogunskaya hydropower plant according to Rusal.
Pharmaceuticals
TAJIK PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND INVESTMENT COMPANY (TPIIC) TO PRODUVE
ANTI-SEPTIC BANDAIDS
DUSHANBE, 24 March Avesta Tajik Pharmaceutical Industry and Investment
Company to begin serial production of band aids with healing properties in 2005.
According to General Director, Mr. Davlatkadamov clinical and laboratory
activities are in progress. Band aids will be enriched with properties to
accelerate regeneration impact, thus improving quality of this band aid,
continued Mr. Davlatkadamov.
Banking & Finance
ORIEN BANK OPENED AN OFFICE IN KABUL
Tajikistans largest commercial bank, Orien Bank JSC, has opened its
representative office in Kabul, Afghanistan. Orien Bank plans to participate in
a development project in Afghanistan.
Source: Radio Liberty
Economy
WORLD BANK COMPLETES FIRST PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW ON
TAJIKISTAN
DUSHANBE, March 31, Asia-Plus /Amrita Kirgizova/ -- The presentation of the
first Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (PEIR) on Tajikistan conducted
by the World Bank (WB) was held in Dushanbe on March 31. For details of the
review please contact BISNIS Representative in Tajikistan.
TAJIKISTAN PLEDGES ITSELF TO FACILITATE CREATION OF MULTILATERAL PAYMENTS SYSTEM
FREE OF RESTRICTIONS
DUSHANBE, March 16, Asia-Plus /Artyom Geivandov/ -- Tajikistan's government has
notified the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it has accepted the
obligations of Article VIII, Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the International Monetary
Fund's Articles of Agreement, which have taken effect on December 9, 2004.
According to information received from the IMFs Dushanbe Office, Article VIII,
Sections 2, 3 and 4 stipulate that IMF members not impose restrictions on making
of payments and transfers for current international transactions, and not engage
in, or permit any of their fiscal agencies to engage in, discriminatory any
currency arrangements or multiple currency practices, without IMF approval.
Tajikistan becomes the 164th of the IMF's 184 members to have accepted the
obligations of Article VIII, Sections 2, 3 and 4. By accepting the obligations
of Article VIII, Sections 2, 3 and 4, the Republic of Tajikistan signals to the
international community that it will pursue economic policies, which will make
restrictions on the making of payments and transfers for current international
transactions unnecessary, and will contribute to a multilateral payments system
free of restrictions.
Tajikistan joined the International Monetary Fund on April 27, 1993.
Press release issued by the IMF says Tajikistan's quote is SDR 87.0 million
(equivalent to about US$133.9 million).
Inflation rate in Tajikistan in February 2005 is 0.9%
DUSHANBE, 16 March Avesta The inflation rate in Tajikistan for February 2005
is 0.9%.
The Tajik State Statistics Committee says inflation rate in January 2005 was
0.3%. Inflation rate in 2004 was 5.7%.
Tajikistan Foreign trade turnover for January-February 2005 IS $300m
DUSHANBE, 16 March Avesta Tajikistans foreign trade turnover for
January-February 2005, compared with the same period of 2004, decreased by
$16.9M dollars or by 5.3% and is estimated at approximately $300M.
TAJIKISTAN GDP in Jan-Feb increaseD by 8.1%
DUSHANBE, 16 March Avesta Tajikstans Gross Domestic Product in January
February 2005 has increased by 8.1% annually and is estimated at $239M.
Telecommunications
ASIALINK IS A NEW INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER IN TAJIKISTAN
DUSHANBE, March 15, Asia-Plus /Amrita Kirgizova/ -- An official opening of the
new Internet Service Provider Asia-Link was held at the Kohi Vahdat Convention
Center in Dushanbe today.
The event was organized by Orion Bank JSC and TAKOM, LLC. According to
information from the Orion Banks office in Dushanbe Asia-Link ISP is a joint
Tajik-U.S. project.
Takom LLC presents its Internet project Asia Link
DUSHANBE, 15 March Avesta Asia-Link, a new Internet Service Provider held its
opening presentation in Dushanbe. This new ISP is a project of a TAKOM, LLC a
U.S.-Tajik joint venture. A representative of the company said it plans to
invest up to $0.6M in this years activities.
Oil & Gas
About 8 million m3 of gas have been extracted in Tajikistan for two months this
year
DUSHANBE, 16 March Avesta /R. Abdullaev/. About 8 million cubic meters of
gas has been extracted in Tajikistan from January-February this year;
anticipated projected extraction was supposed to reach 8 million 348 thousand
cubic meters. According to the Ministry of Energy, this is a 37% annual
production increase.
Emerging Markets
CHINESE DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TAJIKISTAN TO BOLSTER IMPLEMENTATION OF
COOPERATION PLANS
DUSHANBE, March 28, Asia-Plus /Artyom Geivandov/ -- On March 26, Mr. Sharif
Saidov, Chairman of Tajikistan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), met
with a visiting Chinese delegation comprised of officials from the Kashqar
District of the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region. Deputy head of the Kashgar
District, Mirza Dustmuhammad, heads the Chinese delegation.
TAJIK-TURKISH BUSINESS FORUM WAS HELD IN DUSHANBE
DUSHANBE, March 29, Asia-Plus /Artyom Geivandov/ -- Minister of Economy and
Trade Hakim Soliyev met with a visiting delegation of Turkish businessmen.
Talks were focused on state and prospects of trade and economic cooperation
between the two countries. Representatives of the Turkish companies expressed
an interest in expanding cooperation in the area ...