DUSHANBE, August 3, 2016, Asia-Plus /Payrav Chorshanbiyev/ – Barqi Tojik has reportedly asked the Iranian side to restructure its debt to the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power plant (HPP), which was built with help of Iranian specialists.

“We have made a request to the Iranian side regarding restructuring our debt to the Sangtuda-2 HPP,” Rustam Majidov, the head of the Barqi Tojik main finance department, told reporters in Dushanbe on August 2.

“This issue will be discussed in the near future at a meeting of the Tajikistan-Iran intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation,” Majidov said, noting that Barqi Tojik now owes about 410 million somoni to the Sangtuda-2 HPP.

Barqi Tojik also owes 672.2 million somoni to the Russian-built Sangtuda-1 HPP.  Barqi Tojik and Sangtuda-1 HPP have reached an agreement on phased repayment of Barqi Tojik’s debt.

Meanwhile, a total volume of Barqi Tojik''s debts has reached nearly 12 billion somoni, including about 10 billion somoni Barqi Tojik owes to the Ministry of Finance for loans attracted for implementation of investment energy projects.

Barqi Tojik is a national integrated power company of Tajikistan.  Barqi Tojik operates the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP), the largest hydropower plant in Central Asia with an installed generation capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and produces over 75% of Tajikistan’s electricity.