DUSHANBE, July 23, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Public associations of Tajikistan will provide support to implementation of the Roghun hydroelectricity project.  

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic for Strategic Studies, Sayfullo Safarov, said that on August 2, the Center will host a roundtable meeting formally titled “Public Support to Construction of the Roghun Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS).”  The meeting is organized by the Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan and all officially registered political parties have been invited to take part at the meeting.      

As it had been reported earlier, the Tajik government in late May announced resumption of the project for completing the construction of the Roghun HPS.  It was noted that $50 million will be provided this year and further $150 million are supposed to be delivered in 2009 for the Roghun hydroelectricity project.  

Besides, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, speaker of the upper house of parliament, said on April 30 the government could raise about $10 million for its construction if all residents of the capital Dushanbe were to give up half their wages in May and June.  

During President Rahmon’s visit to Roghun on May 30, it was noted that some 40 percent of the Roghun HPS had been built so far.

We will recall that a statement released by president’s office announced on August 29, 2007 that Tajikistan has formally revoked a contract with Russia''s RusAl aluminum company for the construction of the Roghun power plant.  The statement explained that the cancellation of the contract also includes the "annulment" of the October 2004 agreement on "long-term cooperation" with RusAl. 

The Tajik government now intends to create an international consortium to complete the project 

According reports released by some Russian media in early June, Russia and Tajikistan resumed negotiations over completion of the Roghun HPS.  In a letter from Tajik Prime Minister, Oqil Oqilov, to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, plans were outlined for the creation of a financial consortium for completion of construction of the power plant, the reports said.  It is believed that the World Bank is to be included in the consortium and Tajikistan invited Russia to also join.  No details were released, but sources in the Foreign Ministry have implied that Inter RAO YeES is to be put in charge of the project. Inter RAO YeES has declined comment on such an agreement

The Rogun plant, started in Soviet times but never finished, is key to Tajikistan''s goal to become a significant regional electricity exporter and raise aluminum production.  The 3,600 MWt Roghun HPS is to generate 13 billion kWh of electricity per year.  The plant''s completion would substantially increase sales of electricity to neighboring countries.