Tajikistan's irrigation system owes 403 million somoni as water fees cover only 39% of costs

September 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Tajikistan's irrigation system has accumulated nearly 403 million somoni in unpaid water fees by mid-2026, while water users paid only 39% of charges in the first half of the year. The sector's electricity debt to power suppliers has surpassed 300 million somoni, driven by rising tariffs and low collection rates.

Key Facts

By mid-2026, water users in Tajikistan owed nearly 403 million somoni for irrigation water delivery.
In the first half of 2026, water users paid only 33.4 million somoni of the 84.9 million somoni billed for irrigation water, a payment rate of 39%.
Irrigation organizations owed more than 300 million somoni for electricity, with 313.2 million somoni in total electricity debt reported by the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation.
Pumping stations consumed 391.4 million kWh of electricity worth 58.2 million somoni in the first half of 2026, of which only 17.2 million somoni was paid.
The irrigation water tariff rose from 2 dirams to 5 dirams per cubic meter with VAT starting in 2024.

Debt Accumulation

The total debt for irrigation water delivery reached 402.9 million somoni by mid-2026, including arrears from previous years. In the first half of 2026, water management agencies filed lawsuits for 56.2 million somoni to recover unpaid fees, of which 25.3 million somoni was collected. The Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation reported that water users, primarily agricultural producers, often pay late or in incomplete amounts. The government previously adopted a resolution to improve the sector's financial condition and allocated funds for debt settlement, but arrears remain high.

Electricity Cost Burden

Pumping stations used 391.4 million kWh of electricity in the first half of 2026, costing 58.2 million somoni, with only 17.2 million somoni paid. The total electricity debt of organizations under the Agency reached 313.2 million somoni. Agency director Zafarbek Davlatzoda said electricity tariffs for the sector rose for three consecutive years, with a cumulative increase of nearly 45%. For 2026, a special tariff applies to machine irrigation pumping stations: 14.36 dirams per kWh from April 1 to September 30, and 41.37 dirams per kWh from October 1 to March 31.

Government Response

In 2023, the government adopted Resolution No. 142 on measures to improve the economic and financial condition of the irrigation, land reclamation, and energy systems. The resolution was amended in August 2025. In 2023, 467 million somoni was allocated for debt settlement in the sector.