Residents complain that utility workers are attributing debts to them

Residents of some regions of the country complain that employees of the energy distribution company are going door to door, unjustifiably charging people with debts and issuing fines.

Groups of residents from the Yavan district, as well as other districts of the Khatlon region (the names of which we do not disclose for their safety), told Azda tv that in recent days, employees of the energy distribution company have been visiting homes and claiming that the installed electric meters are outdated, either installed unlawfully by the owners or purchased not from the energy distribution company , and on this basis, they are issuing fines ranging from 800 to 2500 somoni.

When residents demand evidence, the energy company employees claim that the electric meters were allegedly purchased from third parties or that the service life of these devices has already expired.

However, residents assert that several years ago, employees of the energy company also went door to door, fined citizens, and demanded the replacement of electric meters. According to them, the current meters were installed precisely after these inspections.

“They came several years ago, stated that our meters were outdated, fined us, and took money for installing new devices. Then they themselves came and replaced the meters. We only paid for this work and know nothing more. Until now, there have been no problems. Today, the same scenario is repeating itself,” residents complain.

According to residents, the energy company employees claim that the service life of the current model electric meters, purchased from the energy company itself, will expire in January of next year. After that, consumers will have to purchase new electric meters with SIM cards.

Previously, similar complaints had already been received from the Matchin district and other districts of the Sughd region. Residents reported that employees of the energy distribution company unjustifiably attributed inflated amounts of electricity debt to the population. Some citizens claimed that they had kept receipts for electricity payments for more than 15 years, yet despite this, they were still recognized as debtors and fined.

Earlier this year, representatives of the State Energy Supervision Agency under the President of Tajikistan stated that during inspections of the electricity networks in cities and districts of the country, mass discrepancies in the volumes of electricity charged to subscriber accounts in regional network structures were identified, with the total amount of unaccounted consumption exceeding 321 million kWh, amounting to 106 million somoni. All of this was recorded as the population’s debt.

At that time, the leadership of the Energy Supervision Agency stated that criminal and administrative cases had been initiated against more than a hundred employees of the energy distribution company. However, it is unknown how many of them were fined or sentenced to imprisonment. It is also not reported whether any of them were dismissed from their jobs.

Complaints from residents come against the backdrop of official statements from authorities that the total amount of debt owed by the population for electricity as of last year exceeded 1.2 billion somoni.

However, residents deny these claims and state that the population cannot remain in debt for years, as it is well known that if they do not pay their electricity bills on time, the company immediately disconnects the electricity.

“How can one not pay for electricity and accumulate such debts if the electricity is disconnected? Where does the debt come from?” residents wonder.

 At the same time, statistical data indicate that the debt for electricity from large industrial enterprises in Tajikistan, most of which are affiliated with relatives and close associates of Emomali Rahmon, exceeds 1 billion somoni, and this debt remains unpaid to this day.