DUSHANBE, May 4, 2011, Asia-Plus — Statement by director of the Center for Strategic Studies Suhrob Sharipov that open joint-stock company Gazpromneft-Tajikistan accounts for 70 percent of the country’s fuel market does not correspondent to the facts, Nazar Odinayev, the first deputy head of the Antimonopoly Agency, said.
“According to the statistical data from the Customs Services, in January-March 2011, Gazpromneft-Tajikistan accounted for 41 percent of gasoline deliveries and 26 percent of diesel fuel deliveries to the country, while in 2010, it accounted for 41.9 percent of gasoline shipments and 18.2 percent of diesel fuel shipments to Tajikistan,” Nazar Odinayev said.
Unfounded accusation of public structures of lobbing interests of Gazpromneft-Tajikistan is at least irresponsible and not serious for public servant of such level and may lead to the imposition of an administrative action, Odinayev stated.
We will recall that in a report released at a news agency in Dushanbe, Suhrob Sharipov noted on April 14 that the situation when foreign country dominates Tajikistan’s fuel market poses threat to stability of our country, Suhrob Sharipov, director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 14. “The situation when one foreign state accounts for 90 percent of Tajikistan’s fuel imports may have serious social consequences,” Sharipov said.
He noted that the antimonopoly agency of the country must work more actively in that area. Sharipov expressed hope that the new head of the country’s antimonopoly agency realized the seriousness of the situation and would work properly to tackle that problem. “It is to be noted that very serious forces and lobbers will confront him,” said the Tajik think tank head. “We all understand clearly what forces and what money that side has, but it is necessary to withstand this confrontation. It is necessary to break up this fuel monopoly lobby and corrupt component in this issue, when large companies have placemen in the government and various public structures and pay them for lobbying their interests.”
“If Tajikistan does not want to be dependent in this issue, it is necessary to break up the fuel monopoly,” said Sharipov, “The country should not depend on whims of state-run companies of one foreign country.”
According to him, the government has already realized that threat. “A decision has been made to break up this monopoly and begin to deliver oil products from other countries as well,” noted Tajik senior expert, “It is necessary to organize delivery of oil products also from Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and other countries.”
