RASC News Agency: Uzbekistan’s National Power Grid Company has categorically denied Taliban assertions regarding a reduction in electricity tariffs for Afghanistan. In an official statement issued on Sunday, March 2, the company dismissed reports propagated by the Taliban, affirming that no modifications have been made to the pricing of exported electricity. These claims surfaced following a visit to Tashkent by Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. However, the Uzbek power company explicitly clarified that electricity tariffs for Afghanistan remain unchanged under existing contractual agreements, and no new deal has been brokered to lower prices.
Taliban officials had previously claimed that negotiations had secured a tariff reduction and an anticipated increase in electricity imports from Uzbekistan during the summer months. Yet, Uzbek authorities have unequivocally rejected these assertions. As one of Afghanistan’s primary electricity suppliers, any fluctuation in Uzbekistan’s pricing or supply levels could have profound economic implications, directly impacting the livelihoods of millions of Afghanistanis.
Afghanistan relies on electricity imports from four nations Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. However, since the Taliban’s return to power, Uzbekistan has displayed a keen interest in Afghanistan’s natural resources, fostering a cooperative yet strategically calculated relationship with the regime. Economic analysts, however, argue that this dynamic remains largely one-sided, with Uzbekistan prioritizing its own economic and geopolitical interests while extending limited reciprocal benefits to Afghanistan.
