Mining of precious metals increases in Tajikistan
By Abdul Kerimkhanov
The mining industry of Tajikistan has a good mineral resource base, the volume of which is sufficient to ensure the development of the industry for the long term.
Although the current indicators of the extractive industries are relatively modest, in the long term, this sector may become the leader in the Tajik economy.
The enterprises of the Tajik mining industry manufactured products worth over three billion somonis (about $325 million) in January-June 2019.
The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan informed that this figure is 212 million somonis ($23 billion) more compared to the same period of 2018.
Products manufactured by mining enterprises accounted for 25.6 percent of the total industrial output in the first half of this year.
Gold production in this period increased by 51.4 percent compared with January-June 2018, silver production – by 32.5 percent, zinc powder production – by 7.9 percent and antimony powder production - by 30.5 percent.
National Bank of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Finance fully acquired the produced gold.
Tajik-Chinese joint venture Zarafshon (formerly Zervashan Gold Company), Tajik-American joint venture Anzob, as well as Shimsho, Pakrut and Murod companies provided the growth of the output of mining products.
JV Zarafshon is one of the largest enterprises in the industry which has an almost complete technological cycle: mining, processing and metallurgy.
JV Anzob specializes in underground mining and processing of ores with the production of mercury-antimony concentrate. The design capacity of the enterprise is 700,000 tons of ore per year with the production of more than 30,000 tons of mercury-antimony concentrate. The actual capacity for mining and processing of ore averages 350,000 tons per year.
For the development of the industry, Tajikistan attracted foreign investments worth $28.2 million in January-June 2019.
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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94
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