DUSHANBE, July 24, 2015, Asia-Plus --Tajikistan has produced nearly twice as much gold in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, Tajik Minister of Industry and New Technologies Shavkat Bobozoda announced at a news conference in Dushanbe o July 23.

But the minister did not say how much gold had been produced in Tajikistan over the report, noting that information on that metal is provided under “a special system.”

Meanwhile Bobozoda told reporters in Dushanbe on July 24 last year that Tajikistan produced 1,141.1 kilograms of gold in January-June 2014, which was 57.6 kilograms more than in the same period of 2013.

Proceeding from this one may suppose that Tajikistan has produced about 2,280 kilograms of gold over the first six months of this year.

Tajikistan reportedly has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the largest amount of gold was produced in Tajikistan in 1998 – 3,000 kilograms.

Three large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zeravshan Gold Company; and Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka.  Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zeravshan Gold Company.