Gasoline and diesel fuel prices have jumped significantly in Dushanbe since the beginning of this month.
Thus, the price the 92-octane gasoline, which is the most sought-after grade of automobile gas in the country, has risen 17 percent in Dushanbe over the reporting period — from 10.20 somonis per liter on February 28 to 11.70 somonis on March 10.
The price for diesel fuel has risen 17.7 percent in the Tajik capital over the same period – from 10.20 somonis per liter on February 28 to 12.00 somonis on March 10.
Meanwhile, the price for one liter of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Dushanbe has remained the same – 6.50 somonis (more than 60 percent of the country's motor vehicles use liquefied natural gas as fuel).
Some local fuel suppliers say that the price hike has resulted from the rising cost of petroleum against the backcloth of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict, the increase in demand for petroleum products and the rise in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar in Tajikistan’s internal currency market.
Meanwhile, others refute the relationship between the rising cost of petroleum products and the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, noting that Tajikistan buys petroleum products in Russia and the countries of our region paying for them in the Russian ruble, while the Russian currency has lost almost a third of its value against the Tajik national, the somoni, over the past two weeks.
Last year, Tajikistan reportedly imported about 620,000 tons of petroleum products, which was 60 percent more than in 2020.
In 2021, about 87 percent of petroleum products came more Russia, 7.3 percent from Kazakhstan, 2.6 percent from Uzbekistan, 2.4 percent from Turkmenistan, and the rest came from other countries.
Last year, one ton of fuel cost on average US$667.00, which was US$200.00 more than in 2020.
Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan's liquefied natural gas imports (93 percent of the country's overall LNG imports).
The Antimonopoly Agency specialists had earlier said that fuel prices are usually frozen or even fall in winter due to a decline in demand and they rise in summer and autumn as the countries providing the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports limit sales in connection with harvest seasons.
