Tag Archives: Tajikistan

Tajikistan plans new energy legislation

MARCH 3 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Lawmakers in Tajikistan’s lower house discussed the draft of a new law that investors hope will help them to do business in its emerging energy sector.

Tajikistan, dependent on fuel imports from Russia and unfriendly neighbour Uzbekistan, is desperate to unlock its own significant hydrocarbons potential. It hopes to both achieve energy security and earn much-needed revenue.

The problem is that the legislation appears unreformed and Byzantine even.

Although details of the law under discussion haven’t been released, it is understood that it is aimed at addressing these problems.

Russia’s Gazprom, Channel Islands-registered Tethys, France’s Total and China’s CNPC are all prospecting in Tajikistan, the latter trio joining forces to exploit the Bokhtar license area in the south-west of the republic which may hold over 3 trillion cubic metres of gas.

Neighbouring China will be the primary customer when — or perhaps at this stage that should still be an ‘if’ — Bokhtar starts gas production.

ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

FIFA president visits Tajikistan

FEB. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajikistan is not known as a global football powerhouse but Sepp Blatter, the president of the game’s global governing body FIFA, is due to visit for two days on March 24/25, media reported. During his visit, Mr Blatter will watch a local football match.

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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

Tajik workers go on strike for higher wages

MARCH 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Workers in Tajikistan building a road for a Chinese company have gone on strike after demanding higher wages, media reported. Looking to build influence in Central Asia, China has pledged to construct a series of roads and tunnels. Tension, though, flares with how Chinese companies treat their Tajik workers.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)

Tajikistan censors media on the web

FEB. 24 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said that four out of six of Tajikistan’s main internet providers have blocked access to its Tajik news site since Feb. 22. Tajikistan has a poor press freedom record and has previously blocked access to international news websites.

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(News report from Issue No. 173, published on Feb. 26 2014)

Tajik men carry out homophobic attack

FEB. 12 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Highlighting homophobia in Central Asia, a man who recently described his life as a homosexual for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was beaten up and stab. The man said that the attack was directly linked to the interview. Tajikistan has decriminalised homosexuality although prejudice is still rife.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 172, published on Feb. 19 2014)

HRW criticises Tajikistan

FEB. 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The New York based-Human Rights Watch criticised the Tajik authorities for sentencing 26-year-old Zaid Saidov to prison after he had formed a new political party. HRW said that Saidov was found guilty of five criminal charges on Dec. 25 2013 and accused the Tajik authorities of crudely harassing their opponents.

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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 171, published on Feb. 12 2014)

Tajik senior officials fall from grace

FEB. 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — It’s been a bad week for senior officials in Tajikistan. Media reported that a court in Dushanbe had sent the daughter-in-law of a senior Tajik diplomat to prison for 12-1/2 years for drug smuggling and that President Emomali Rakhmon had sacked the head of the Tajik railway company after his son was involved in a deadly crash.

(News report from Issue No. 170, published on Feb. 5 2014)

Tension at Kyrgyz-Tajik border remains high

JAN. 20 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Reports from the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border said tension remained high between the two sides following a shootout that injured several soldiers earlier this month. Radio Free Europe also reported that Kyrgyzstan had called up reservists living in the area for a three day military exercise.

(News report from Issue No. 168, published on Jan. 22 2014)

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan engage in border skirmish

JAN. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Border guards from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan fired at each other in a relatively rare skirmish. Several soldiers from both sides were injured in the firefight, media reported, and Kyrgyzstan later recalled its ambassador from Dushanbe. Tension has been escalating along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border for months.

(News report from Issue No. 167, published on Jan. 15 2014)

Tajikistan cuts interest rate

JAN. 13 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajikistan cut its key interest rate to a record low of 4.8% to combat falling inflation, media reported quoting the Central Bank. It previously cut the key interest rate to 5.5% in October 2013. Falling inflation, marking slower economic growth, is a major concern for Central Banks in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

(News report from Issue No. 167, published on Jan. 15 2014)