BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 28. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on August 26 opened and remotely commissioned a number of industrial, social and infrastructure facilities during a working visit to Danghara district, including new enterprises in the Danghara Free Economic Zone (FEZ). The scale of the projects launched suggests that the district is gradually becoming one of the platforms for expanding processing and construction materials production in the country.
The industrial facilities launched that day include enterprises producing linseed oil, roofing materials, bricks and foam blocks, as well as an oil production facility in the village of Shahbur. Three facilities were launched in the Danghara FEZ, creating a total of 45 jobs: Green Gold LLC will have an annual production capacity of up to 100 tons of linseed oil, Sanoati Bompushkhoyi Dangara LLC - up to 5 million sheets of slate, and Sangvor Sanoat LLC - up to 10 million units of five types of bricks per year. A separate enterprise in Shahbur can process up to 7 tons of raw materials per day and has created another 18 jobs.
These projects are complemented by production facilities launched in Levakant, where workshops producing paint for horizontal road markings, raw materials for detergents and furniture have begun operations. Their emergence is important not only for final product output but also for creating shorter production chains within the country. For example, the road-marking paint workshop has a production capacity of 15 tons per month, while 70 percent of the powdered raw materials for detergents are already produced domestically.
The structure of the new projects is consistent with broader changes in the country's economy. According to data published in July, Tajikistan's GDP amounted to 81.68 billion somoni (about $8.86 billion) in January-June 2026, increasing by 8.2 percent in real terms.
Against this backdrop, the performance of the Danghara FEZ serves as a separate indicator. According to the authorities, 41 entities are registered in the zone, of which 15 are already engaged in manufacturing activities and another five provide services. During the first seven months of 2026, 90 million somoni (about $9.8 million) in investment was attracted to the zone, while 140 new jobs were created.
At the same time, industrial activity in Danghara is developing not only through domestic investment. One of the newly launched roofing materials plants was built with foreign investment. This creates conditions for further expansion of the zone's industrial base, although the ultimate impact will depend on how quickly the new facilities can reach their designed capacities and secure sustainable demand for their products.
The potential impact of this model will depend on how fully the new capacities are utilized after the initial investment cycle. Production of construction materials, oils and other goods for the domestic market could reduce the need to import corresponding products. However, the sustainability of this effect will depend on production costs, access to raw materials, product quality and the ability of local producers to compete with imports.
Domestic demand will be another important factor. In Danghara district, schools, kindergartens, sports facilities and other social infrastructure were being commissioned alongside industrial projects. The new brick and foam-block plant, for example, is intended to supply the construction sector with materials, meaning that its future utilization will also depend on construction activity in the country.
If the new enterprises reach their stated capacities, the next stage could involve expanding supply chains — from raw material production to finished goods. This could increase the share of processing industries in the economic structure and generate additional demand for logistics, electricity, equipment maintenance and skilled labor.
Another possible scenario involves attracting new investors to the Danghara FEZ. The presence of operating manufacturing facilities could make the zone more attractive to companies interested in locating production close to suppliers and consumer markets. In this case, an increase in the number of enterprises could lead not only to higher output but also to the emergence of a more diversified industrial specialization in the region.
At the same time, maintaining the current momentum is not automatic. Some of the entities registered in the FEZ are still at the stages of documentation, design and construction. Therefore, one of the key indicators in the coming years will be the transition from registering and launching individual projects to sustainable operation of production capacities and growth in actual industrial output.
Thus, the future development of Danghara district could follow several paths: new enterprises may focus primarily on replacing imported goods; the industrial base could expand through new investors and greater localization of raw materials; or some of the newly created capacities could operate below their designed levels if domestic demand, production costs or access to markets prove insufficient.
For Tajikistan's economy, the outcome of this industrial drive will be determined not by the number of facilities opened, but by their ability over the coming years to sustain production, create jobs, attract domestic and foreign capital and establish stable production chains within the country.
