BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6. The European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide 10 million
euros (about $11.6 million) in additional financing to Tajikistan
to support efforts to reduce electricity losses in the country's
Khatlon region.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Tajikistan.
The financing agreement was signed on August 5 by Tajik Finance
Minister Fayziddin Kakhhorzoda and the EBRD's representative in
Dushanbe. The terms of the loan were not disclosed.
The funds will be used to implement a project aimed at improving
the efficiency of electricity distribution in Khatlon, one of
Tajikistan's most populous regions.
"The financing will support measures to reduce electricity
losses in Khatlon Region," the Finance Ministry said in a
statement.
The project includes reducing both technical and commercial
electricity losses through the partial modernization of
distribution networks, the introduction of a modern metering and
billing system, and the installation of smart electricity
meters.
The initiative is expected to improve the reliability of
electricity supply, enhance the operational efficiency of the power
distribution system and strengthen revenue collection through more
accurate electricity metering.
The new financing builds on an earlier agreement under which the
EBRD committed 43 million euros (around $49.6 million) in loans and
grants to support electricity loss reduction projects in the Sughd
and Khatlon regions.
The additional funding reflects the EBRD's continued support for
modernizing Tajikistan's energy infrastructure as the country works
to improve the efficiency of its electricity network, reduce system
losses and strengthen the long-term sustainability of its power
sector.
