BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Afghanistan owes more than $100 million for electricity imported from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) said, Trend reports citing TOLOnews news channel.
Banks in Central Asian countries, especially in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, are currently experiencing difficulties in money transferring, which is hindering the payment of debts by Afghan energy company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), Spokesman of MoEW Akhtar Mohammad Nusrat said.
According to Nusrat, MoEW is trying to pay for electricity.
“Uzbekistan has its own problems, we want to pay, but the problem is in the banks,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the former Head of DABS Amanullah Ghalib said that Afghanistan pays about $300 million a year to Central Asian countries, especially Uzbekistan, to buy electricity.
“Afghanistan buys most of its electricity from Uzbekistan. This is about $108 million a year. The problem now is paying the bills,” Ghalib said.
He also added that the military conflict in Ukraine has complicated the banking process for neighboring countries.