DUSHANBE, May 6, Asia-Plus  -- As it had been reported earlier, an April 29 session of the government approved the establishment of two free economic zones (FEZs) in Tajikistan – FEZ Panji Poyon in Khatlon’s Qumsangir district and FEZ Sughd in Khujand, Sughd province. 

According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the FEZ Panji Poyon will be spread over an area of 401.5 hectares, some 184 kilometers south of Dushanbe.  

The source at a MoEDT said that FEZ Panji Poyon will be located along both sides of the road from Dousti, administrative center of the Qumsangir District, to the town of Panji Poyon on the Tajik-Afghan border: 194.53 hectares on the left side of the road and 206.97 hectares on the right side.

The bridge “Dusti” across the Panj River, which joins Tajikistan and Afghanistan at Panji Poyon, currently carries up to 12 vehicles per hour and some 900,000 tons of cargoes may be transported via the bridge this year, the source said, adding that if the price of one kilogram of cargo is 1.00 somoni, a total cost of the whole volume of cargoes transported via the bridge will reach 900 million somonis.

The second FEZ to be established in Khujand is also of significant importance for development of the region.  According to the MoEDT specialists, the FEZ Sughd will create favorable conditions for development of industrial sector, introduction of innovation technologies and creation of new jobs, the MoEDT specialists 

However, they refrained from giving details of parameters of the FEZ Sughd.