DUSHANBE, January 25, 2012, Asia-Plus — This year, the Russian Federation will provide Tajikistan with 170,000 tons of duty-free gasoline, the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Homidullokhon Faqirov, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 25.
According to him, a consignment of Russian duty-free gasoline will be delivered to Tajikistan under the indicative planning of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC). “A working group is currently conducting negotiations with the Russian authorities on increasing volumes of duty-free gasoline,” the deputy minister said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sharif Rahimzoda considers that Russia will not lift export duty on oil products for Tajikistan. “If Tajikistan had been ready for cancellation of its tax exemption initially, we would have had alternative to Russian oil products,” the minister said.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Saidrahmon Nazriyev, noted that Russia’s share in Tajikistan’s fuel imports decreased from 92 percent in 2010 to 84 percent in 2011.
We will recall that Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gas exports from 1995-2010. On May 1, 2010, Russia cancelled Tajikistan”s tax exemption and the Russian government has regulated the export duty on light oil since the beginning of this year. A sudden spike was reported in May 2011, when export duty for Russian gasoline rose 44 percent as compared with April.
By Russian government’s decree export duty on light oil was decreased from US$271.50 per ton to US$259.30 beginning on November 1, 2011. The export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$370.20 to US$353.70.
It is to be noted that it was the fourth decrease in export duty for Russian oil products this year. The first decrease in export duty for Russian oil products was reported on July 1 this year, when the export duty on light oil decreased from US$309.60 to US$298.20 per ton and the export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$415.80 to US$400.50, the second decrease was reported on August 1, when Russia decreased export duty on light oil from US$298.20 per ton to US$293.60 and the export duty for gasoline from US$400.50 to US$394.40, and the third decrease was reported on October 1, when Russia decreased export duty on light oil was from US$297.00 per ton to US$271.50 and the export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$399.00 to US$370.20.
In September, Russia, however, raised export duty on light oil is raised from US$293.60 per ton to US$297.50 and the export duty for gasoline from US$394.40 to US$399.70.
