DUSAHNBE, August 24, Asia-Plus - Three new textiles facilities are supposed to open in the northern province of Sughd by the end of the next year. 

President Rahmonov remarked this in Khujand yesterday during a meeting with senior representatives from the Sughd authorities.  

According to information from presidential press service, on the cotton processing situation in northern Tajikistan, President Rahmonov hailed efforts taken by the Khujand-based company “Khujand-Cotton” to construct a new textile facility in the Zafarobod district.  The rated capacity of this textile facility is to process 9,000 tons of cotton a year. 

President Rahmonov also recommended administrations of the companies of “Olimi Karimzod” and “Guliston” to speed up a process of the beginning of the construction of textile facilities in Mastchoh and Spitamen districts.  Top managers of these companies said that the textile enterprises in Mastchoh and Spitamen would be finished by the end of 2007.  

The head of state expressed dissatisfaction with delays in paying pensions and allowances as well as collecting funds from the public and organizations for consumption of electricity and natural gas.  Rahmonov demanded at the meeting that the situation should be put right in the shortest time and set precise tasks to bring the situation back to normal.  

During his stay in Khujand Rahmonov also attended a ceremony of putting into exploitation of a nine-storey residential building constructed for teachers at Khujand State University.   

President Emomali Rahmonov yesterday morning also took part in a ceremony of inauguration of stele erected in the city on occasion of the 15 ^th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence. 

 President Rahmonov arrived in northern Tajikistan for a two-day visit on August 22.  On the same day, he attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Shahriston tunnel to be built on the 180 ^th kilometer of highway from Dushanbe to Khujand and inaugurated a new school to accommodate 450 pupils in the Ghonchi district.  Emomali Rahmonov Tuesday also visited the Jabborrasulov district to familiarize himself with activity of cotton farms in the district.