KHUJAND, November 9, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- A glass works that was officially opened on October 24 will begin to produce empties.

Based in the northern city of Qairoqqum, this enterprise is the second glass works in Tajikistan and the first enterprise in the country that will produce empties from recyclable materials.

“The plant will produce 1- and 2-liter jars as well as 0.5-liter bottles from broken glass that we will purchase from the population,” one of top managers of the new enterprise told Asia-Plus in an interview.  170 people now work for the enterprise.

According to the department of energy and industry within the Qairoqqum mayor’s office, 18 industrial enterprises now function in the city.  Over the first nine months of this year, the Qairoqqum enterprises have produced a total of more than 296.725 million somoni worth of industrial goods, which is 85 million somoni more than in the same period last year.

2198 people work for 18 industrial enterprises in Qairoqqum at an average monthly wage of 1,000 somoni, the source said.