Holding of the Board Meeting on “Results of the Production, Financial, and Economic Activities of the Agency’s Subordinate Departments, Enterprises, and Institutions for the First Quarter of 2025 and Tasks for the Next Quarter”
Today, a meeting of the Board was held at the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the topic "On the results of production, financial, and economic activities of the departments, enterprises, and institutions subordinate to the Agency for the first quarter of 2025 and tasks for the next quarter."
The meeting was attended by the Director of the Agency, Davlatzoda Zafarbek; the First Deputy Director, Zarifzoda Khurshed; Deputy Directors Zuhurzoda Bahrullo and Safarzoda Olim; as well as heads of departments, divisions, and units of the central office and subordinate structures of the Agency.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Director of the Agency opened the session, announced the program and agenda. Then, according to the program, the Deputy Director of the Agency, Safarzoda Olim, analyzed the results of production, financial, and economic activities of the subordinate structures for the first quarter of 2025. He noted that the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation and its structures operated based on the instructions of the Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, respected Emomali Rahmon, and the decisions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. In the first quarter of 2025, a number of tasks were completed to provide irrigation water users, improve the reclamation condition of lands, develop new irrigated areas, restore agricultural lands withdrawn from circulation, and carry out shore reinforcement works.
During this period, based on the Government Resolution of the Republic of Tajikistan dated March 30, 2024, No. 192 "On timely preparation of economic and social sectors of the republic for uninterrupted and effective operation during the autumn-winter period of 2024–2025," planned activities for preparing irrigation networks were carried out. The planned targets for cleaning irrigation networks (2,867 thousand m³ — 100%), collector-drainage canals (1,940 thousand m³ — 100%), repair of hydraulic structures (707 units — 92%), buildings of pumping stations (34 units — 68%), pumping equipment (822 units — 97%), vertical wells (91 units — 94%), electrical substations (181 units — 100%), transformers (313 units — 98%), cells (1,018 units — 95%), and power lines (108 km — 100%) were generally fulfilled. Regulation of dams cost 836 thousand somoni (39%). A total of 95 mechanisms were involved, and the facilities were prepared for the irrigation season.
This year, state land reclamation and irrigation departments of cities and districts across the republic signed 52,732 contracts with water users covering an area of 350,943 hectares.
According to requests and demands of water users, 13.9 million m³ of water worth 686.8 thousand somoni was supplied during this period.
Payment for water supply services is a key factor for the sector's development, as it facilitates timely preparation of irrigation networks for the watering season and provision of water to users. A billing system has been fully implemented across the republic, and payments for services are organized in a cashless form.
Due to untimely payment for water supply services, the debt of water users to state land reclamation and irrigation departments of cities and districts as of April 1, 2025, including previous years, amounted to 279.2 million somoni, which led to an increase in accounts receivable and payable of the Agency’s subordinate organizations.
To recover debts, the departments submit materials to courts and prosecutor’s offices. In the reporting period, such materials worth 47.1 million somoni were submitted, of which 8.0 million somoni were recovered, and the remaining 39.1 million somoni are under consideration.
Electricity consumption in the first quarter amounted to 12.4 million kWh, which is 1.1 million kWh less than the same period last year. The cost of consumed electricity amounted to 3.7 million somoni, which is 0.6 million somoni more compared to last year, and payments for electricity use amounted to 8.9 million somoni.
The debt of the Agency’s subordinate enterprises for electricity consumption to the JSC "Barki Tojik," including previous years, amounted to 178.3 million somoni, which is 83.2 million somoni more than the same period last year.
To fulfill one of the most important sector tasks — improving the reclamation condition of agricultural lands — in 2025, based on the Government Resolution of March 1, 2024, No. 137, and the Agency’s order of March 14, 2024, it is planned to improve the reclamation condition of 15,632 hectares of land for 19,666.0 thousand somoni. As of April 1 of this year, the condition of 1,654 hectares was improved at a cost of 1,213.0 thousand somoni. Of this, 568.0 thousand somoni from water supply fees covered 921 hectares, 173.0 thousand somoni from the local budget covered 217 hectares, 22.0 thousand somoni from dehkan farms covered 66 hectares, and 450.0 thousand somoni from projects covered 450 hectares. Work continues.
According to the Government Resolution of April 29, 2023, No. 186 "On the State Program of Shore Reinforcement Works in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2023–2027," shore reinforcement works worth 90,105.0 thousand somoni over a length of 37,642 meters are planned for 2025. This includes 9,480.0 thousand somoni from the republican budget for 5,110 meters, 66,638.0 thousand somoni from non-budget funds for 23,480 meters, 12,484 thousand somoni from the local budget for 6,883 meters, and 1,503.0 thousand somoni from water supply fees for 2,169 meters.
During the reporting period, shore reinforcement and restoration works worth 1,033.3 thousand somoni over 4,004 meters were completed. This included 584.0 thousand somoni from the republican budget for 250 meters, 251.7 thousand somoni from water supply fees for 564 meters, and 197.6 thousand somoni in voluntary labor (hashar) for 3,190 meters.
To expand irrigated land areas within the framework of the "State Program for the Development of New Irrigated Lands and Restoration of Agricultural Lands Withdrawn from Circulation for 2022–2027," approved by the Government Resolution of March 1, 2022, No. 90, this year it is planned to develop 3,254 hectares of new irrigated lands and restore 1,400 hectares of withdrawn lands. The implementation progress is monitored annually until February 1 with subsequent reporting.
Additionally, the Agency is implementing the "Investment Program for Equipping Pumping Stations of the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation with Modern Energy-Efficient Equipment for 2023–2027," approved by the Government Resolution of June 30, 2023, No. 296. According to this program, results of implementation are summarized annually by February 10 and reported to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Within the framework of the "Development Program for the Land Reclamation and Irrigation Sector for 2024–2028," approved by the Government Resolution of June 1, 2024, No. 327, works started in 2025 according to the program action plan. For the implementation of the planned program activities in 2025, funding of 118,570.0 thousand somoni is allocated from all sources, including 5,050.0 thousand somoni from the republican budget, 108,340.0 thousand somoni from foreign capital, 180.0 thousand somoni from water supply fees, and 5,000.0 thousand somoni from the private sector. Additional information on progress will be provided.
To support the sector, three investment projects totaling 135.7 million US dollars are being implemented at the Agency, including "Improving Water Resource Management in Khatlon Region," "Climate-Resilient and Disaster-Resistant Irrigation System and Drainage Network Modernization in the Vakhsh River Basin," and "Enhancing Water Resource Management and Irrigation in Tajikistan."
Funds utilization in the first three months of this year amounted to 3.7 million USD, or 72% of the quarterly plan, and since the beginning of project implementation — 38.5 million USD, or 30% of the total plan.
The organization and development of Water Users Associations (WUAs) continues within the framework of water sector reforms. As of April 1 of this year, 241 WUAs operate in the republic, serving 496,195 hectares of irrigated lands. Including 94 WUAs in Sughd region on 206,298 hectares, 122 WUAs in Khatlon on 263,612 hectares, 10 WUAs in GBAO on 1,744 hectares, 3 WUAs in the Hisor area on 6,045 hectares, and 12 WUAs in the Dushanbe area on 18,496 hectares.
During this period, 202 thousand tons of national economic cargo were transported by road, and 1,074.0 thousand m³ of work was completed by earth-moving machinery.
As of April 1 of this year, the sector employs 5,497 people, of whom 5,387 work in operations and 110 in construction. The average monthly salary of employees during this period amounted to 1,097 somoni.
The Deputy Director concluded his speech by recalling existing problems and noting that despite progress in the activities of the Agency and its structures, significant challenges remain, the resolution of which will contribute to the sector's development.