Energy officials in Tajikistan were unable to provide a precise count of villages still lacking access to electricity during a news conference held in Dushanbe yesterday.

Manouchehr Khursandzoda, Manager at the Network Development Department of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Electricity Distribution Networks, announced that a US$6.5 million rural electrification project is currently being implemented across the country.  According to him, the initiative is delivering power to 76 villages in the districts of Shamsiddin-Shohin, Mirsaidali-Hamadoni, and Farkhor in Khatlon province.

However, when pressed by journalists about the total number of villages nationwide that remain without electricity, Khursandzoda admitted, “We do not have this information.”

Abdullo Qurbonzoda, Deputy Director-General of Barqi Tojik, echoed this sentiment and suggested that such data could be obtained from the Statistics Agency.  “I believe the precise data should be requested from the Statistics Agency. These are statistical figures.  Barqi Tojik, Electricity Transmission Networks and ‘Electricity Distribution Networks are focused on operating the energy system. The information you are asking about may be available through the Statistics Agency, which is responsible for it,” Qurbonzoda explained.

Despite the presence of senior officials from Barqi Tojik, Electricity Transmission Networks, and Electricity Distribution Networks at the news conference, no one was able to provide any statistics on the number of unelectrified villages.

The lack of clear data raised concerns among attending journalists and cast doubt on the competence of the energy companies involved.  Reporters questioned how these agencies could effectively address rural electrification without knowing the full scope of the issue.

Moreover, the absence of reliable statistics throws into question the planning and execution of the electrification project itself.  Without a clear understanding of how many communities remain off-grid, experts warn that resources could be misallocated or insufficient.

President Emomali Rahmon, in his address to parliament at the end of 2024, pledged that Tajikistan would eliminate its electricity shortages by May 2027, achieving what he described as “full energy independence.”  The president linked this goal to increased power generation at the Roghun hydropower plant and other operational facilities, as well as the development of new energy infrastructure.