DUSHANBE, January 23, 2013, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Russia are expected to sign an agreement on duty-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan during a visit of Russian First Vice-Premier Igor Shuvalov to Tajikistan in February, Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali told journalists in Dushanbe on January 23.
According to him, the agreement provision regarding prohibition of re-export of Russia fuel to the third countries remains valid and enforceable.
The minister noted that annually, Russia would deliver one million tons of oil products to Tajikistan free of export duties.
We will recall that under Article 3 of the draft agreement, the sides must consider the indicative fuel balance for the next calendar year (form October 1, 2012 to October 1, 2013) and sign the agreement taking into account Tajikistan’s economic growth.
Article 6 notes that oil products delivered from Russia to Tajikistan in the volumes not exceeding those agreed on indicative balance are not subject to re-export to the third countries. This ban also applies to Russian oil products delivered to Tajikistan from other member nations of the Customs Union.
Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gas exports from 1995-2010 and Russia cancelled Tajikistan’s tax exemption on May 1, 2010 that resulted in gasoline prices rising in the country. A sudden spike was reported in May 2011, when export duty for Russian gasoline rose 44 percent as compared with April.
On October 5, 2012, the Ministry of Energy and Industries of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation signed a memorandum on the conditions of delivery of Russian oil product o Tajikistan. The memorandum provides for signing of the government-to-government agreement on the tax-free delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan.
Last year, Tajikistan imported little more than 370,000 tons of oil products, which was 68,000 fewer than in 2011, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI).
In 2012, the cheapest gasoline was reportedly delivered from Kyrgyzstan – US$913 per ton.
An average price of one ton of Russian gasoline was US$1,199, Turkmen gasoline – US$1,172, and Uzbek gasoline – US$1,044.
An official source at a MoEI noted that a share of Kyrgyzstan in Tajikistan’s fuel imports has increased noticeably — from 2.0 percent in 2011 to 13 percent in 2012. Last year, Tajikistan imported 48,500 tons of oil products from Kyrgyzstan.
Russia last year accounted for 55.3 percent (205,000 tons) of Tajikistan’s fuel imports, – Turkmenistan – 17.2 percent (64,100 tons), and Uzbekistan – 0.02 percent (7,100 tons).
Last year, an average price for one ton of gasoline was 1,121 U.S. dollars, one ton of diesel fuel – 1,084 U.S. dollars, and one ton of aviation kerosene – 1,347 U.S. dollars.
