DUSHANBE, January 16, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik authorities reportedly prohibit use of Pakistan cement and Chinese fittings for construction of apartment buildings.

In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Abduvali Komilov, the head of the Agency for Construction and Architecture under the Government of Tajikistan, revealed on January 16 that it is unsafe to use Chinese fittings for construction of apartment buildings in Tajikistan, which is located in an active seismic zone.

“Chinese fittings are worse than the Russian or Ukrainian ones,” said Komilov.  “Therefore, preference is given to fittings manufactured in these countries.”

According to him, it is also prohibited to use Pakistani cement for construction of apartment buildings.  “Pakistani cement may be used only for construction of three-story buildings,” Komilov said, noting that quality of Tajik cement is better than the quality of Pakistan-made cement.

Asked about the reason for high cost of housing in Dushanbe, Komilov noted that practically all building materials are imported from other countries.  “We produce only cement, but local cement plants are practically not in operation because of lack of natural gas,” he said.

Current price for square meter of one square meter for a Dushanbe home runs US$650.00 to US$1,200.00, Komilov stressed.

According to data from the Agency for Construction and Architecture, an overall space of some 875,000 square meters in residential buildings was made available in Tajikistan during last year.