DUSHANBE , January 13, Asia-Plus - As of January 1, 2006 a total debt of the public to “Dushanbegaz” ( Dushanbe state gas supply company) has amounted to 16 million Somonis, according to Mansur Sharipov, acting director of the Dushanbe gas supply company.   

Mr. Sharipov has told Asia-Plus that the planned rate of gas supply for the population has been determined at 263,000 cubic meters per day, “but actually they use natural gas two-three times more.”  

On the installation of gas meters in Tajik capital, Mansur Sharipov noted that as of January 1 this year, 67,903 gas meters have been installed in Dushanbe .  “In total, In Dushanbe, 107,000 gas meters are planned to be installed,” the Asia-Plus interlocutor said, adding that some 40,000 other gas meters will have been installed in the city by the end of the year.  

Installation of gas meters will allow solving the problem with collection of funds from the public and enterprises, according to the acting head of “Dushanbegaz”.  

“At present we have many problems with collection of funds from the public,” said Sharipov, “Thus, only one person is officially registered at the apartment,  while actually five or even more people are living there, and they pay only for one person.”  “People frequently express dissatisfaction with the fact that although a gas rationing introduced but funds are collected as for the full day, but it should not be forgotten that gas is supplied for cooking only,” the Dushanbegaz official  said.  

It is expected that after all consumers have gas meters, gas will be supplied regularly, according to Mansur Sharipov.