DUSHANBE, January 6, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The government has done right not raising electricity rates for Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco), Mirzosharif Islomiddinov, head of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Committee on Energy, Industry, and Construction, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, it would be illogical not to support the enterprise providing up to 70 percent of the country’s currency receipts.

“Under conditions of the ongoing financial-economic crisis that has resulted in the world aluminum prices and demands decreasing, our aluminum group will be faced with financial problems as the production volumes will inevitably decrease,” MP noted.

“Talco consumes up to 7.5 billion kWh of electrical power per year, including 6.3 billion kWh of Tajik electricity,” said Islomiddinov, “While the remaining 1.2 billion kWh is the imported electrical power, on receiving of which Talco concludes contracts with foreign suppliers and pays for it on its own.”

We will recall that by government’s resolution passed on December 6, 2008 electricity prices for all electricity consumers, except Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco), have been raised by 25 percent.

According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), under conditions of the global financial crisis that has resulted in aluminum prices decreasing and for the purpose of supporting aluminum production in the country the government has decided to leave the electricity price for Talco the same – 5.15 dirams per 1 kWh.

The new prices are 6.00 dirams for residential customers, 13.68 dirams for industrial enterprise, and 10 dirams federally funded institutions.