Uzbekistan has warned that it could cut electricity supplies to Afghanistan due to delay in payment, Afghanistan's national power company said.

Afghanistan is highly dependent on imports to meet its electricity needs. 77 percent of electricity in Afghanistan is imported from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Iran.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) pays 12.5 million US dollars to Uzbekistan every month for the purchase of electricity.

However, the company says that it paid only half of bill for the month of March due to lack of funds.
According to the company, government institutions alone owe 7.5 billion afghanis to the company.

The warning to cut electricity has caused concerns among residents and business communities in Afghanistan.

Syed Azim Mustafa Hashimy, head of the agency for development of export of fruits and vegetables in Afghanistan, said that electricity cut would affect the operation of factories in the country.

DABS said that it would seek $50 million loan from the government if the problem is not resolved.