Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 6
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
Uzbek Cabinet of Ministers approved a decree on the purchase of road bitumen in the amount of 159,000 tonnes, according to the "Aria Petroleum Ltd" company (United Kingdom).
In accordance with the document, the purchased bitumen is designed for the renovation and construction of the Uzbek national automobile highway sections, including 92, 000 tonnes of road bitumen is planned to be used for the facilities in 2014 and 67,000 tonnes will be reserved for the facilities in 2015.
The decree did not specify the cost of the contract, however, on the estimates of independent experts, without the logistical component, it may amount to around $ 50 million.
The payment for the delivered bitumen will be made by the contractors in the national currency at the expense of the funds of the Uzbek Republican Road Fund under the Ministry of Finance.
Transportation of bitumen will be carried out in cisterns on railway.
The first contract of "Aria Petroleum" with the National Holding Company "Uzbekneftegaz" on the supply of the road bitumen on the request of the Uzbek Republican Road Fund and and "Uzavtoiul" SJSC was signed in June, 2012.
The British company supplied 70,000 tonnes of bitumen in 2012 and about the same amount in 2013.
The country produces about 150,000 tonnes of bitumen annually. Additional demand for road bitumen arose due to the expansion of construction and reconstruction of roads in Uzbekistan in recent years.
As reported earlier, the Uzbek President confirmed the program on the construction of the national automobile highway worth $3.29 billion in May, 2009.
It is planned to implement construction and renovation of the roads with the length of 2,300 kilometers, including the construction of four sections of roads with a total length of 1,500 kilometers in the country by 2015.
At present, the total length of roads in Uzbekistan is 146,400 kilometers. Some 42,500 kilometers out of this are main public roads, including 3,200 kilometers of international automobile highway and another 18,800 kilometers are of national importance.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.