DUSHANBE, August 16, 2013, Asia-Plus — Over the first seven months of this year, Tajikistan has imported 219,703 tons of oil products, which was 8 percent, or 18,000 tons, more than in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industry (MoEI).
“Meanwhile, gasoline imports have been reduced over the same seven-month period,” an official source at a MoEI said. “In January-July this year, Tajikistan has imported 74,854 tons of gasoline, which was 14,000 tons fewer than in the same period last year.”
However, reduction in gasoline imports has not affected the country’s fuel market, the source noted. According to him, it could be connected with increase in liquefied gas shipments.
More than 40 percent of country’s transportation reportedly uses liquefied gas due to high petrol prices.
“Over the last month, the price of one liter of 92-octane gasoline in Dushanbe has fallen from 6.00 somoni to 5.80 somoni, with similar price cuts in other regions of the country,” the source noted, adding that gasoline prices have fallen due to gasoline shipments from Kyrgyzstan.
“Current price for one ton of gasoline delivered from Kyrgyzstan is 899.00 U.S. dollars, while current price for one ton of Russian gasoline is 1,235 U.S. dollars,” the source said.
Over the first seven months, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have provided the bulk of Tajikistan’s gasoline imports. Kyrgyzstan has reportedly accounted for 42 percent (92,686 tons) of Tajikistan’s gasoline imports, Russia – 38.5 percent (84,497 tons), Turkmenistan – 8.2 percent (18,125 tons), and Kazakhstan – 6.0 percent (13,227 tons).
157 economic entities have reportedly delivered oil products to Tajikistan over the first seven months of this year and the limited liability companies Gazpromneft-Tajikistan, Anahita, and Nouri Dilshod have dominated Tajikistan’s fuel market over the report period.
In January-July this year, Tajikistan has imported 219,703 tons of oil products. A totaled reportedly included 74,854 tons of gasoline, 82,300 tons of diesel fuel, 39,000 tons of aviation fuel, 5,200 tons of fuel oil, 11,900 tons of bitumen, and 6,200 to engine oils.
Meanwhile, an expected reduction of Russian export tariffs has not occurred yet. The source says the agreement on duty-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan will be ratified in the fall this year.
We will recall that the Ministry of Energy and Industries of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation signed a memorandum on the conditions for the delivery of Russian oil products to Tajikistan on October 5, 2012.
Tajik Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali and Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak signed an agreement on duty-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan in Moscow on February 6, 2013. Under this agreement, the sides consider and endorse the indicative fuel balance for the next calendar before October 1 of each year. Fuels delivered in addition to the indicative fuel balance will be liable to export duty.
Russian oil products delivered to Tajikistan in the volumes not exceeding those agreed on indicative balance are not subject to re-export to the third countries.
