DUSHANBE, April 7, 2011, Asia-Plus -- “The problem of providing the population and economy with regular electricity will remain unsolved as long as unskilled persons manage this sector and until bureaucratic control of the energy sector is limited and the sector is restructured,” Communist Party (CPT) leader Shodi Shabdolov, who is also member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) and member of the Association of Powermen of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview today.

He noted that the Association has repeatedly called on the Government to hand over pricing policy for energy sector to an independent commission.

“We have spoken a lot about energy-saving technologies at high level, but actually, we have practically done nothing in this area to date,” said Shabdolov, “According to data we have, Tajikistan’s annual electricity loses are estimated at almost 3 billion kWh, but nobody want to recognize that these losses are actually a theft.”

According to him, the parliament has practically completed a new edition of the law on energy and in his view, adoption of that law and correct implementation of the law will help tackle some problems facing the energy sector.

Shabdolov noted that selection of personnel played an important role, “but unfortunately, we have more questions than answers in this area.”

“The government must admit that the country’s energy system is now very vulnerable becoming ever more dependent on weather conditions,” he said.  “Just imagine that there will be no precipitations in autumn and winter; in this case, we may lose the Norak hydroelectric plant and the whole cascade of hydropower plants on the Vakhsh River.”

Shabdolov considers that Tajikistan must create spare capacities in the energy sector through building new heat and power plants and modernizing the existing ones.  “Tajikistan has considerable coal deposits and we will have our own natural gas soon, you know,” the CPT leader stressed.

He also noted that privatization of energy facilities could not be allowed in Tajikistan.