DUSHANBE, January 29, Asia-Plus -- $27 million are needed for restructuring Tajik Telecom, Tajikistan’s national telecommunication operator, Maruf Sayfiyev, first deputy head of the State Committee for Investments and Management of State-owned Property remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 29. 

The committee deputy head noted that several other large enterprises such as Tamokhush, Khimzavod, Teleradiocom, Tajikkhimporm, Tojikcement and Tojikgaz had also submitted restructuring plans for consideration.  Under the program for restructuring 37 large enterprises and natural monopolies in Tajikistan in 2003-2007, these 37 enterprises should have submitted their restructuring plans for consideration by the end of 2007.  

According to him, joint-stock companies will be established on the basis of these enterprises.  Both Tajik and foreign legal and physical entities have the right to purchase shares of these companies. According to the Committee, the country’s national budget has received more than 61 million somonis from privatization of large and medium-sized real estate properties since 2004.  Last year, 66 large enterprises were privatized in Tajikistan for a total of 69.1 million somonis.  

We will recall that giving a news conference in Dushanbe on October 19, 2006, the Committee officials said that the government had endorsed projects to restructure two large enterprises, Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) and Tajik Telecom.  During the news conference it was noted that the estimated budget for the Tajik Telecom project is US $27 million and China’s Exim (Export/Import) Bank will invest US $22.8 million in the project.