Water on credit: why Tajikistan’s irrigation system is hundreds of millions of somoni in debt

Tajikistan’s irrigation system is facing serious financial problems: water users are paying less than half of the amount billed for irrigation water, while rising electricity costs for pumping stations are increasing the financial burden. As a result, consumers’ debts to water management organizations are turning into debts owed by those organizations to energy suppliers. By mid-2026, water users in Tajikistan owed nearly 403 million somoni for irrigation water. At the same time, organizations under the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation had accumulated more than 313 million somoni in electricity debt. The government has already taken measures to improve the sector’s financial condition, including decisions to settle outstanding debts, allocating funds and launching programs to modernize pumping stations. However, the debt problem persists.

Less than half of irrigation water is paid for According to the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation, in the first half of 2026, irrigation water worth 84. 9 million somoni was supplied to water users. Only 33. 4 million somoni , or 39% of the amount billed , was paid. Including outstanding debts from previous years, total arrears for irrigation water reached 402. 9 million somoni . The Agency says water continues to be supplied to farms, but many water users, particularly agricultural producers, fail to pay on time or in full. Since 2024, the irrigation water tariff has been 5 dirams per cubic meter, including VAT , up from 2 dirams previously. Some debts have had to be recovered through the courts. In the first half of 2026, regional land reclamation and irrigation departments filed claims totaling 56. 2 million somoni . Of this amount, 25. 3 million somoni was recovered, while the remaining claims were still under…