DUSHANBE, February 16, 2015, Asia-Plus – President Emomali Rahmon has ordered to increase the supply of daily electrical power to residential customers in rural areas to 13 hours – six hours in the evening.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, Rahmon ordered to increase the supply of daily electricity at a meeting with senior representatives of the government and president’s office that took place on February 16.

The meeting also discussed issues related to saturating markets with basic food products, organizing food product fairs and making preparations for the spring sowing campaign.

According to braknest.tj, residential customers in rural areas now have electricity 10-12 hours per day.

We will recall that electricity rationing was introduced in rural areas of Tajikistan on October 1, 2014.

Electricity rationing reportedly has not affected Dushanbe as well as the cities of Khujand, Qurghon Teppa, Kulob, Tursunzoda, and Chkalovsk as well as the majority of districts of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

In GBAO, Tajikistan’s only private power company, Pamir Energy Company (Pamir Energy), operates.  This company is responsible for electricity deliveries in the region and the majority of districts in Gorno Badakhshan now have regular power supply.

Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and seek to curb the country''s rising electricity consumption.  The rationing is introduced in October or November and lasts through March or April next year.  The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours.  In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country''s reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.