TASHKENT: Uzbekistan has been importing electricity from neighboring countries to meet domestic demand amid winter power shortages, the Uzbek Energy Ministry said. “In order not to disrupt domestic supply, Uzbekistan has been importing electricity from other neighboring countries,” said the ministry, adding that a part of the imports will be re-exported to Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan exports 2.2 million megawatts of electricity annually to Afghanistan under an intergovernmental agreement between the two countries, it said.
As the only country in the region that connects Afghanistan to the Central Asian Power System, Uzbekistan shares a short border line with Afghanistan in the south, and has been participating in its socio-economic revival and regional infrastructure projects, including building railways and electricity lines in the country.
Meanwhile, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has tasked the government to reform the country’s automotive industry to boost production and develop competition, the president’s press service said.
The president has ordered to set up an office with foreign experts to oversee the transformation process of the state-owned company Uzavtosanoat, the report said, adding that other 40 enterprises in the sector will face transformation as well.
Mirziyoyev also instructed the government to prepare 23 enterprises that produce spare parts and components for automobiles for privatization to develop competitiveness in the industry, it said. Uzbekistan plans to attract direct investments in the industrial assembly of cars and production of up to 60,000 budget cars and electric vehicles annually. Uzavtosanoat controls enterprises producing automobiles and their components, including Uzavto Motors that currently produces around 250,000 vehicles per year under the Chevrolet brand.
Uzbekistan has recently set up a joint venture with the Volkswagen Group Rus concern to produce Volkswagen Caddy passenger and cargo minivans and plans similar joint ventures with other companies as well. –PNP
