Uzbekistan cuts gas exports by 78% this year

AKIPRESS.COM - Uzbekistan reduced gas exports by 78% this year compared to 9 months of the previous year, according to the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.
Export of goods remained on the level of the previous year. Gold exports made 54%, gas exports made 3%.
The foreign trade in 9 months of this year amounted to $24.3 billion (in 9 months of 2019, it made $26.2 billion).
Export of goods amounted to $10.8 billion, import stood at $13.6 billion.
Gold and gas exports made 57% in overall exports of the country. 94% of gas was imported to China, 5% to Tajikistan, 1% to Kyrgyzstan.
At the government meeting on December 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered to reduce gas exports and to supply gas to population.
This is the first time Mirziyoyev paid attention to gas shortage problems after critical shortage of gas and electricity since November. Before becoming President in December 2016, Mirziyoyev promised to resolve gas and electricity supply problems. However, the situation has not changed to the better, while the cold snap this year led to serious crisis in the energy sector.
People remained without electricity and heating took to the streets to protest in several regions, Andijan and Bukhara among them.
The country lacks 20 million cbm of gas a day, Mirziyoyev said. The President said additional 7-8 million cbm of gas a day will be supplied to population.