DUSHANBE, January 28, 2016, Asia-Plus — Energy ministries of Tajikistan and the Russian Federation have reportedly discussed and endorsed the indicative fuel balance for 2016.
“Under the indicative fuel balance endorsed for this year, Russia is expected to supply 830,000 tons of oil products free of duty to Tajikistan this year,” Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda told journalists in Dushanbe on January 27.
According to him, a totaled includes 260,000 tons of gasoline, 310,000 tons of diesel fuel as well as other oil products.
“40 companies will be engaged in supplying oil products to Tajikistan this year,” the minister said
We will recall that 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.
The agreement on duty-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan was signed between the governments of Russia and 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.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan last year managed to import only 560,000 tons of duty-free oil products from Russia though the indicative fuel balance for 2015 that provided for supplying 830,000 tons of duty-free oil products to the country.
In 2014, Tajikistan managed to import only 576,000 tons of duty-free oil products from Russia though the indicative fuel balance for 2014 that provided for supplying 1 million tons of duty-free oil products to Tajikistan.
Specialists from the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources attribute the fact that Tajikistan has not imported the whole consignment of the duty-free oil products offered by Russia to increase in liquefied gas imports.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, more 336 tons of liquefied gas was supplied to Tajikistan last year, which was 57,000 tons more than in 2014. Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s liquefied gas imports. More than 60 percent of the country”s motor vehicles use liquefied gas as fuel.
