DUSHANBE, February 8, Asia-Plus  -- The Tajik government is considering the possibility of collecting payment for use of the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak (Uzbekistan) highway, which is rehabilitated by China’s company China Road, Temourali Afghonov, the head of the foreign borrowings department of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), told Asia-Plus on Friday. 

According to him, specialists from the ministries of finance and economy are working on this issue.  He justified this measure by saying that the highway is being rehabilitated “due to China’s long-term loan and Tajikistan should repay it.”    

We will recall that the rehabilitation of the highway from Dushanbe to Chanak is expected to be finished in August 2008.  The project to improve road communications between Tajikistan''s capital, Dushanbe, the northern city of Khujand, and the Uzbek border town of Chanak also includes construction of the Shahriston tunnel.  The tunnel is expected to bi finished by August 2009.

A total project cost is estimated at some $296 million, including $281.2 million provided by the Chinese government in a form of a long-term loan.  The loan carries a 20-year period and an interest rate of 2 percent per annum.  The remaining some $14 million are provided by the government of Tajikistan.