QURGHONT EPPA, February 2, Asia-Plus -- Signing of an agreement between the Khatlon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and Chinese company “TVEL” on investing in reconstruction of the transformer-producing plant in Qurghon Teppa has still been postponed, Asia-Plus has learned from Khatlon CCI head Subhonqul Komilov.     

As it had been reported the agreement was signed in 2005, already.  “Under the agreement the Chinese side was supposed to provide US70 million,” said Komilov, “Of this amount, US$10 million were intended for the strengthening of the technical basis of the first part of the plant and US$60 million were supposed to go providing technologies to the second part of plant located in southern part of Qurghon Teppa.” 

According to Komilov, experts from the Chinese company visited Qurghon Teppa last year to familiarize themselves with these facilities.   

Zikrillo Bekmatov, director of the transformer-producing plant, has told Asia-Plus that the company’s representatives were supposed to arrive in Qurghon Teppa in January this year for signing the agreement.  “But for unknown reasons, they have not yet come,” said Bekmatov, “Under the agreement the Chinese experts had to study a state of the facilities and determine the amount necessary for implementation of this project.” 

Meantime, according to the plant’s director, although privatization of the second part (located in the area of 2 hectares) of the plant has been prohibited, it was put on auction on December 2 2005 and the closed joint-stock company “Khovar” purchased it at US$187,600.