With the onset of cold in Tajikistan, the price of coal has increased. Traders say that one ton of it is available from mines for 100 somoni more expensive than last year. The representatives of the Ministry of Industry did not explain the topic and demanded an official letter.
Jamshed Kurbanov, a coal trader, says that although the price of this type of fuel has increased, the number of customers has not decreased.
“We buy coal from Fonyaghnob mine. Last year we bought 1 ton for 650 somoni. This year we will buy for 750 somoni and sell for 1200-1350 somoni,” he said on December 6.
Some of the residents say that if last year they bought a kilo of coal at the price of 90 dirhams or one somoni, this year its price has reached one somoni and 30 dirhams.
“Whether you have the opportunity or not, you have to buy it. It is not possible without it. There is a child at home, you understand. A bag of coal was 15-20 somoni. Now it is 30-35 somoni. We buy two to three tons. It depends on the length of the winter. If if it was short, little is spent, if it was long, more,” said Mustafa Shoazizov, a resident of Guliston, Shahmansur district.
One of the reasons for the high price of coal was attributed by businessman Jamshed Kurbanov to the increase in the price of diesel fuel. Authorities do not want to talk about it.
The cold weather and the introduction of restrictions on the transmission of electricity have increased the demand of people in the villages for coal, but they say that the high price is a serious obstacle.
“When there is no electricity, we need firewood, coal and gas to prepare food, but look at the price of everything, which increases year by year,” said Shahlo, a resident of Shamsuddin Shahin district of Khatlon region.
Concerns about the high price of coal are heard while Tajikistan exports coal abroad, including to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
After the way of Tajik entrepreneurs to bring coal to Kyrgyzstan was blocked, some of them say that they buy coal from Uzbek businessmen. One kilo of it now costs 3 somoni and 30 dirhams. Earlier it was up to two somoni.
According to official information, in 9 months of this year only in Sughd region, slightly more than 1 million 100 thousand tons of coal was produced.
According to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, last year coal production in 11 mines amounted to 2.4 million tons.
14 companies are engaged in coal mining in Tajikistan. It is not easy for any company to get access to coal mines and its extraction and sale. In the past, concerns about transparency in the completion of tenders related to mineral extraction in Tajikistan have been raised many times.
Source : Радио Озоди