KULOB, QURGHON TEPPA, July 11, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The office of Tojikstandart (Tajik agency for standardization, certification, metrology and trade control) in Kulob considers it necessary to set up a ‘salt’ checkpoint in Danghara in order to prevent transportation of non-iodized salt from southern Tajikistan to Dushanbe.

Habibullo Safarov, the head of Tojikstandart’s office in Kulob, told reporters on July 11 that they have sent letters to all relevant agencies asking for permission to set up the ‘salt’ checkpoint in the Olimtoi area, through which the road from southern Tajikistan to Dushanbe runs.

According to him, it is the only way to prevent transportation of non-iodized salt from Hamadoni and Vose districts to Dushanbe.

Over the first six months of this year, specialists from Tojikstandart’s office in Kulob have reportedly confiscated 40 tons of non-iodized salt produced by small saltworks in Hamadoni and Vose.

“The confiscated salt is just a small part of the non-iodized salt being transported by these and other saltworks to Dushanbe,” said Safarov.  “We cannot control dozens of saltworks operating in the area round the clock.”

Meanwhile, Ikromiddin Valiyev, the head of the Qurghon Teppa Center for Standardization, Metrology and Trade Control, told a news conference in Qurhon Teppa on July 11 that some 16 tons of poor salt have been stripped from shelves in Qurghon Teppa since the beginning of the year.