DUSAHNBE, August 25, Asia-Plus -- Joint-stock company (JSC) “Angisht” (Tajik coal-extracting company) has been put for sale again.  

Zafar Safarov, deputy head of the department for work with JSCs and preparation of auctions and tenders of the State Committee for Management of State-owned Property, has told Asia-Plus that the sale tender for “Angisht” company is supposed to be held on August 30 or 31.  “The date of receiving applications for participating in the tender expires today,” said Safarov, “However, we have not yet received any application.” 

According to him, the price for “Angisht” has been determined at  more than five million Somonis this time.  If there are no individual entrepreneurs of companies interested in privatization of this enterprise, the tender will be held again and the enterprise’s price will be little lowered, according to him.  “The “Angisht enterprise is currently operating only for 6 percent of its rated capacity and its equipment has also become obsolete,” Mr. Safarov noted.  

According to information from the Committee for Management of State-owned Property, the “Angisht” enterprise was put for auction for the first time on August 17, and its price was determined at more than 13 million Somonis.  For lack of buyers, its price has been lowered and it has been put for tender sale. 

The Asia-Plus interlocutor noted that according to data provided by “Angisht” itself, the enterprise extracted coal for more than one million Somonis last year.  The “Angisht” output is realized inside the country, and last year, they realized coal for 617,000 Somonis.  According to the source, organization and enterprises now owe 2 million Somonis to the JSC “Angisht”.   

ABOUT: According to information from the Ministry of Energy, “Angisht” has operated in the northern district of Isfara since 1902.  It is the largest enterprise on production of coal in northern Tajikistan.  Today, an annual extraction of coal at the “Angisht” enterprise amounts to some 19,000 tons.  In 1979, some 1 million tons of coal were extracted at the “Shurob” coalfield developed by “Angisht”, and in 1990, extraction of coal at the “Shurob” coalfield amounted to 467,200 tons.  By the time of being, annual extraction of coal has reduced 24 times, and the mining equipment has become absolutely obsolete.  More than US$5 million are needed for rehabilitation and modernization of the “Shurob” coalfield.