State budget looses billions of soms due to flour smuggling, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Kyrgyzstan, Tilek Toktogaziev, has announced at a press conference.
At least 62 flourmills operated in Kyrgyzstan in 2013. The annual flour production reached 450,000 tons. Only eight flourmills are working in 2020.
“We have only 150,000 tons now. The volumes are killed by corrupt officials and thieves at the border. I can even voice you the rates – from 3,000 to 30,000 soms is paid for passage a truck of contraband flour,” Tilek Toktogaziev said.
Tilek Toktogaziev also voiced the reasons for the rise in meat prices. In his opinion, the matter is in the waste of food industry, which serves as a forage base for animals.
“When our processing plants are not working, the cost of the forage base goes up. And then they wonder why the price of meat is increasing. What kind of development of animal husbandry and agriculture can we talk about when there is a mess at the customs and no one controls it? ” Tilek Toktogaziev said. (24.kg/Business World Magazine)
