DUSHANBE, March 29, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- General contractor for rehabilitation of the Kulob-Qalai Khumb highway will become known in the first half of April, Ismonqul Shoqulov, executive director of the Shagon-Zighar road rehabilitation project implementation unit (PIU), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the final stage of the tender for the contract for rehabilitation of this road took place in Dushanbe on March 28.  Eight companies, from Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey participated in the tender.  Tajik companies did not take part in the tender.

“During a week we will study bids made by the companies and the winner will be announced on April 10,” Shoqulov stressed.

The Kulob-Qalai Khumb road rehabilitation project is implemented under financial support of five Arab financial institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Fund for Development, Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, OPEC Fund and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

These companies will provide a total of 85 million U.S. dollars in loans for implementation of the project and Tajik government’s contribution to the project is reportedly 7 million U.S. dollars.

The project includes rehabilitation of the 40-kilometer Shuroobod-Shagon section of the road and construction of three bridges with a total length of one kilometer.

Feasibility study for rehabilitation of the Kulob-Qalai Khumb highway was conducted by the Al Abuhadi-Spectrum company in 2008. The feasibility study was funded by a $1 million grant from the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development.