DUSHANBE, October 26, Asia-Plus  -- The Government of Tajikistan has declined an individual project for privatization of open joint-stock company Tajikkhimprom elaborated by the State Committee for Investments and Management of State-owned Property.

The committee head Sharif Rahimzoda remarked this while speaking to journalists in Dushanbe yesterday.   According to him, some technical faults have been revealed and the committee specialists are currently working on removing these shortcomings.  

“If the project is endorsed a tender will be held at the end of this year,” the committee head said.

We will recall that OJSC Tojikkhimprom was acquired by British Enjik Chemical Co in June 2007 for 10.05 million somonis (equivalent to some $3 million).  However, on August 10, the Tajik government passed a resolution revoking a protocol on privatization of Tojikkhimprom of July 21, 2007, and State-owned Property Management returned $200,000 that had been paid by the company as guarantee fee.   According to the committee officials, the Enjik Chemical Co has no complaint and the company can participate in the new tender for privatization of Tojikkhimprom,    

The plant was supposed to pass into complete ownership of Enjik Chemical Co in 2009.  The company, in particular, undertook to invest 20 million dollars in modernization of the plant before 2009 as well as pay off the plant’s debts in an amount of 25 million somonis and create new jobs.   

Under the strategic plan for privatization of medium and large enterprises, as well as restructuring of entities of natural monopolies and especially large enterprises designed for 2003-2007, 37 large enterprises are subject to restructuring.  Among them are Tajikcement, TajikAir, Tojikkhimprom, Tajik Telecom, Tojikgaz, Tajik Railways, Barqi Tojik, etc. 

OJSC Tojikkhimprom is the only enterprises in Tajikistan and one of three within the CIS area, producing different types of chemical goods such as caustic soda, liquid chlorine, chloride of lime, calcium hypochloride and other chemical goods.  The company was established in 1999 on the basis of the Yovon chemical plant and was registered with authorized capital of 15.3 million somonis.