The National Bank of Tajikistan and Metalor Technologies SA, an international Swiss-based group, have signed a cooperation agreement.

According to NBT press center, the document has been signed during a visit of the first deputy head of Tajik central bank, Jamoliddin Nouraliyev, to Switzerland.

The agreement reportedly provides for cooperation on refining gold produced in Tajikistan. 

Tajikistan last year produced 5 tons of gold, which was 500 kilograms more compared to 2015.  The Tajik-Chinese joint venture (JV), Zarafshon, reportedly produced 3,300 kilograms of gold in 2016, state-run enterprise Tilloi Tojik – 570 kilograms, Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka – 590 kilograms, and the remaining amount of gold was produced last year by a number of local small gold mining enterprises.

Meanwhile, China Nonferrous Gold Limited, the first foreign company to obtain 100% ownership of a mining and exploration project in Tajikistan, which is currently mining the Pakrut Gold Project in Tajikistan, is expected to produce 500 kilograms of gold this year.

According to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT), Tajikistan has 137 deposits with estimated reserves of industrial gold and 127 deposits of non-industrial gold.  Tajikistan reportedly plans to increase annual production of gold to 17 tons beginning on 2022.

Four large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zarafshon; Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka; and China Nonferrous Gold Limited, which is the first foreign company to obtain 100% ownership of a mining and exploration project in Tajikistan.  Besides, enterprises such as Odina, Nazira, Ganj, Barakat and Istiqlol are engaged in gold production in the country.

Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zarafshon, which reportedly accounts for more than 70 percent of the total amount of gold produced in Tajikistan.

Metalor Technologies SA is an international Swiss-based group, with subsidiaries in 17 countries.  It is a leading participant in the field of precious metals and advanced materials.  Through its subsidiaries, the company engages in the evaluation, refining, processing, manufacturing, and supply of precious metals of primary and secondary origin in Switzerland and internationally. It offers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars; ingots to banks and financial institutions; precious metals to industrial customers, banks, and trading companies; gold grain for the manufacture of various luxury and high tech products; plating, powders, flakes, and pastes for electronic, semiconductor, and decorative industries; chemicals and compounds; plating equipment; electroluminescent pastes; films; electrical contacts for electrical distribution, numerical or analogical control, transportation, and household appliances markets; wire and profiles made of precious metals and pseudo-alloys of precious metals; and contacts made of precious metal alloys or pseudo-alloys in the form of rivets and tips. The company also provides reception, homogenization, sampling/analysis, refining, coating, and plating services. It serves jewelry, watch manufacture, dental alloys, and electrical contacts markets.