DUSAHNBE, August 3, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan ’s holding company “Ismoili Somonis- 21 ^st Century” in cooperation with a Czech company will built a new cement plant in the Shahritus district in Khatlon.  

Deputy Industries Minister, Turakhon Amirkhonov, has told Asia-Plus that “Ismoili Somonis – 21 ^st Century” this year has applied to the Ministry of Industry for license to develop deposits of limestone, gypsum, and loams, as well as to construct a new cement plant in Tajikistan .  “This company will get the license for constructing the cement plant,” Mr. Amirkhonov said, noting a rate capacity of the new cement plant in Shahritus is supposed to be 2.5 million tons of cement a year. 

On a case pitting Tajik Ministry of Industry against Russian company “Instroy-2002”, which was supposed to construct the cement plant in Shahritus, that was considered in Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court last year, Turakhon Amirkhonov noted that the court had ruled that license for constructing a cement plant in Tajikistan should be revoked from the Russian company that had failed to fulfill its obligations on the agreement.

“The rated capacity of the only cement plant operating in Tajikistan – “Tojikcement” – is one million tons of cement a year,” said Mr. Amirkhonov, “However, the plant is currently working only 25 percent of its capacity.”  Over the first six months of this year, “Tojikcement” has produced only 221,200 tons of cement, according to him.  

“It is necessary to develop cement-producing sector in Tajikistan in connection with the construction of hydropower and large industrial enterprises, as well as tunnels and other key social infrastructure,” the deputy industries minister said.   

According to data from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, in 2004, Tajikistan’s requirements in cement were one million tons, this year the country’s requirements in cement have increased by 200,000 tons and by 2010, Tajikistan’s requirements in cement will have reached 1.60 million tons.