Page 190 – The Times Of Central Asia

21 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Features

Modernization of Kyrgyzstan’s Largest Hydropower Plant Nears Completion

July 22, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kyrgyzstan is nearing a major milestone in its energy sector with the impending completion of modernization work at the Toktogul Hydropower Plant (HPP), the country’s largest energy facility, which generates approximately 40% of its electricity.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the country consumed 10 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in the first half of 2025, of which 2.05 billion kWh were imported. Domestic production during this period included 6.616 billion kWh from large hydroelectric plants, 1.132 billion kWh from thermal power plants, 219.7 million kWh from small HPPs, and 0.141 million kWh from the nation’s only solar power plant.

To reduce dependence on imports and address recurring power shortages, the government is prioritizing both the construction of new and the modernization of existing hydropower facilities.

On July 15, a major milestone was reached at Toktogul HPP with the installation of a new rotor for hydroelectric unit No. 3, the last of the plant’s four turbines to undergo a full overhaul under a multi-year modernization project. The rotor, weighing 768 tons, is the heaviest component of the unit and was installed using two 400-ton cranes. A similar operation was last carried out nearly five decades ago, during the plant’s initial construction.

Three of the four turbines have already been upgraded. Upon completion of work on unit No. 3 in November 2025, Toktogul’s total installed capacity will rise by 240 megawatts (MW), reaching 1,440 MW. This upgrade will enable the plant to generate an additional 525.3 million kWh of electricity annually.

Alongside the Toktogul modernization, Kyrgyzstan is also advancing its small-scale hydropower capacity. By the end of 2025, 18 small hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 78.57 MW are expected to be completed. Two plants, with a total capacity of 10.29 MW, are already in test operation.

Although the country’s only solar power plant currently produces 1.43 MW, this is set to change. Kyrgyzstan has launched construction of two major renewable energy projects in 2025: a 300 MW solar power plant and a 100 MW wind farm, marking a significant step toward diversifying the national energy mix and enhancing long-term energy security.

21 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Pushes for Flour Self-Sufficiency

July 21, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, has called on domestic millers to produce at least 200,000 tons of wheat annually in a bid to reduce the country’s reliance on flour imports. His remarks came during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new flour mill in the northern Chui region.

Torobaev emphasized the need to boost local wheat production to cover at least four to five months of national flour demand each year. He also urged producers to work toward gradually lowering retail prices.

“If flour producers work closely with farmers, understand and address their challenges, the situation will improve. The Ministry of Agriculture is ready to support the sector from seed selection and soil analysis to mechanization,” he stated.

With coordinated efforts, the minister believes that the cost of domestically milled flour could become competitive with imports from Kazakhstan and Russia.

Tackling Price Volatility and Import Dependence

Due to limited domestic production, Kyrgyz flour is currently more expensive than imported alternatives. This price gap has left the country vulnerable: any disruption in imports has previously led to sharp increases in bread prices.

Nevertheless, the local milling industry has shown robust growth in 2025. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 215,000 tons of grain were processed in the first five months of the year. Once the new plant in Chui becomes operational, total national milling capacity is expected to exceed 300,000 tons annually.

Expanding Capacity and Mechanization

To support expanded production, 1,500 units of harvesting equipment have been deployed across Kyrgyzstan’s wheat-growing regions. The government has also relocated machinery from the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions to high-output areas such as the south, Talas, and Chui. Harvesting operations are ongoing without interruption.

Official statistics show that agriculture is becoming a major engine of economic growth. In the first half of 2025, GDP grew by 11.7%, surpassing 700 billion KGS ($8 billion). The food processing industry alone contributed 50 billion KGS ($500 million) to this growth.

21 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan

Why Kazakhstan Still Isn’t a Sports Power, Despite Massive Investment

July 21, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Between 2021 and 2024, Kazakhstan more than doubled its public spending on sports from KZT 153 billion (USD 289 million) to KZT 315 billion (USD 594 million). Yet, the country has not achieved a breakthrough in high-performance sports. A new report by the analytical portal Ranking.kz highlights why substantial investments have failed to deliver world-class results.

Spending More, Achieving Less

An audit by Kazakhstan’s Supreme Audit Chamber revealed declining efficiency in sports sector spending. Over three years, violations totaling KZT 17 billion (USD 32 million) were identified. KZT 13.7 billion (USD 26 million) was categorized as ineffective spending, while KZT 2.8 billion (USD 5.3 million) was lost due to poor planning.

Despite numerous strategic documents, the sector still lacks a centralized development strategy. Objectives are often recycled from one policy to the next, with no clear implementation mechanisms or performance evaluations.

Funding distribution is also inconsistent. In some cases, more resources go to non-Olympic sports, while Olympic disciplines remain underfunded. Nineteen of the 46 Olympic sports had no training programs, and Kazakhstan failed to send athletes to Olympic qualifiers in five disciplines, despite spending KZT 2 billion (USD 3.8 million) on them.

Million-Dollar Bonuses vs. Grassroots Development

While efficiency falters, some officials are awarding themselves generous bonuses. Staff at the “Sports Development Directorate” received over KZT 3.5 billion (USD 6.6 million) in bonuses over three years, averaging KZT 7.7 million (USD 14,500) per person annually, or roughly KZT 640,000 (USD 1,200) per month, often exceeding their base salaries.

In contrast, funding for grassroots sports has declined. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, in 2023, KZT 121 billion (USD 228 million) was allocated to youth sports schools (DYuSSh). That figure dropped to KZT 91 billion (USD 172 million) in 2024.

Payroll funding has been reduced by nearly 25%, and National Schools of Olympic Reserve (RShVSM) experienced cuts of up to 65.9%.

Meanwhile, funding for sports boarding schools for gifted children rose by 69.3%, reaching KZT 29.7 billion (USD 56 million). Schools of higher sports mastery and Olympic preparation centers each received KZT 16.7 billion (USD 31.5 million).

The Ministry has pledged to introduce a per capita funding system for youth sports schools starting in 2026. This reform aims to improve transparency and better align funding with children’s sports preferences.

Participation in Decline

Despite rising budgets, participation in sports is falling. In 2024, the number of Kazakh citizens engaged in sports dropped by 750,000 to 8.4 million. Of these, 6.9 million attend sports clubs or sections, a 9.8% decrease from the previous year.

Olympic sports remain the most popular, with 4.3 million participants, followed by non-Olympic sports (1.8 million) and traditional national sports (667,000).

Football leads with over 1.1 million players, followed by volleyball (768,000) and basketball (656,000).

Kazakhstan has over 37,500 sports facilities, including 21,800 outdoor grounds and around 10,000 indoor gyms, two-thirds of which are operated by educational institutions.

On paper, Kazakhstan appears to be making significant investments in sports. In practice, however, the absence of a coherent strategy, inefficient spending, and misplaced priorities continue to undermine progress. While elite training centers receive increased funding, support for grassroots and Olympic sports is shrinking. Without comprehensive structural reform, even billion-tenge budgets are unlikely to turn Kazakhstan into a global sports powerhouse.

21 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Home, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan to Build Strategic Railway Bridge Across Syr Darya River

July 21, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan will construct a 500-meter railway bridge over the Syr Darya River as part of a strategic infrastructure initiative to bolster transport links with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway company, has announced.

Preparatory works are already underway, with construction progressing on a 152-kilometer segment of the new Darbaza-Maktaaral railway line, stretching from Erdaut station to the Syr Darya floodplain. The full project will include 35 bridges in total.

The Darbaza-Maktaaral line is seen as vital for strengthening Kazakhstan’s transport and transit infrastructure. It is expected to ease pressure on the congested Saryagash-Tashkent rail corridor and the heavily utilized Saryagash border station, enabling a significant increase in freight traffic to Uzbekistan and beyond-to Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Once operational, the railway is projected to carry over 20 million tons of cargo annually.

In addition to its international significance, the project is poised to stimulate economic development in southern Kazakhstan. By directly linking the Maktaaral and Zhetysai districts to the national rail network, it will eliminate the need to transit through Uzbek territory, streamlining domestic logistics and enhancing regional accessibility.

Completion of the Darbaza-Maktaaral railway is scheduled for 2026.

21 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Tajikistan Life & Culture, Home, Life & Culture, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Features, Tajikistan Home, Features

The Pressure of Tradition: Why Child Marriage Persists in Tajikistan

July 23, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Although the legal age for marriage in Tajikistan is 18, courts may grant permission for girls to marry at 17 under “exceptional circumstances.” In reality, however, girls are often married off at even younger ages. Parents routinely petition courts with emotional appeals, citing poverty, orphanhood, or the wishes of elderly relatives, to secure early marriages for their daughters.

Legal Loopholes and Judicial Discretion

As explained by lawyers from PRO BONO DE JURE, applicants must justify their request to lower the marriage age and provide supporting evidence. Yet the law offers no clear definition of what qualifies as “exceptional,” leaving judges broad discretionary power.

In practice, economic hardship is the most common justification. Sociologist Gulnora Beknazarova, who reviewed approximately 550 court cases on underage marriage, found that only one involved a couple in love. “The rest were applications from poor families or guardians claiming they couldn’t afford to care for the girl,” she said.

In some instances, judges have approved marriages simply because wedding plans were already in motion and the bride’s age came to light only during registration. “These cases account for just 3%,” noted gender researcher Diana Ismailova, “but their very existence highlights a troubling precedent.”

Social Pressures and Family Expectations

In rural communities, many mothers fear their adolescent daughters may come under “bad influences” and lose their virginity before marriage. “After ninth grade, girls are impossible to control… they ruin their future,” said one woman who arranged her daughter’s marriage at 16, as quoted by Your.tj.

Elder family members also play a significant role. In traditional Tajik households, their wishes often carry the weight of law. For some, marrying off a granddaughter is a final wish, one that younger family members feel obligated to fulfill.

According to Beknazarova, societal expectations enforce a rigid timeline for girls. “There’s a ‘social clock’ that ticks faster for them. If a woman isn’t married by 22, she risks being labeled an ‘old maid,’” she explained. In contrast, men face far less societal pressure regarding marriage age.

“Marriage at 16 isn’t rare,” she added. “Even if not officially registered until 18, society still views it as normal.”

Cultural Norms vs. Practical Realities

Early marriages are often poorly considered. Parents seldom ask: “What if she divorces?” or “How will she support herself?” Divorce rates are rising, but it is typically the woman who ends up raising the children alone.

Beknazarova attributes these decisions to a traditional mindset in which a girl’s path is predetermined: marriage and motherhood. “You marry off your daughter because it’s time, because that’s what everyone does,” she said.

Still, change is slowly taking root. In 2024, amendments to Tajikistan’s Education Act made schooling through grades 10-11 compulsory. More girls are completing their education, and awareness efforts by government and civil society groups are helping shift attitudes around women’s rights.

“Young people are already thinking differently,” Beknazarova said. “And life will sort everything out in time.”

21 Jul 2025

Home, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Mother Gives Birth on Uzbekistan Airways Flight to Tashkent

July 21, 2025
By Jonathan Campion

A baby boy has been born on board an Uzbekistan Airways flight from Istanbul to Tashkent. According to the airline, the mother went into premature labor during the flight.

“There were two doctors on board who, together with the crew, quickly provided all the necessary medical assistance,” the company said in a statement. “The flight attendants acted professionally, calmly, and clearly. Their confidence, composure, and care were vital at this important moment.”

The plane made an emergency landing at the airport in the Uzbek city of Urgench, where medics were waiting for the woman and her newborn boy and took them to the hospital.

Uzbekistan Airways congratulated the family on the new addition and expressed its gratitude to the pilots and flight attendants, singling out the two doctors who were on the same flight and organized assistance for the woman in labor.

After landing in Urgench, the plane flew on to Tashkent.

In January this year, the crew of a Uzbekistan Airways plane delivered a baby to a passenger during a flight from Tashkent to New York. The aircraft was forced to land in Keflavik (Iceland), where the mother and child were taken to hospital.

In April 2024, a boy was born on a flight operated by the same airline from Tashkent to Istanbul.