DUSHANBE, April 28, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s Anti-Monopoly Committee has sent a letter to the leadership of Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston” demanding lowering of individual airfares and fixing a date for fulfilling this ruling.
An April 19 ruling by the antimonopoly commission gives Tajik national air carrier until May 1 to submit its proposals on determining individual airfares and explain the current situation.
Amonullo Ashurov, deputy head of the antimonopoly agency, has told Asia-plus that if the airline ignores the antimonopoly commission’s ruling they will appeal to
Higher Economic Court
. “In this case, a fine from 8,000 to 20,000 minimal wages is imposed,” Mr. Ashurov said.
Amonullo Ashurov has noted that the natural monopolies sphere includes rates of natural gas, electricity, and water supplies as well as defense products and telecommunications and rail and air transportations, and prices are determined by state in the person of the antimonopoly agency. “In other words, Tajik national airline violates the country’s law “On Natural Monopolies” and hurts passengers’ rights,” Ashurov said. Besides, rising individual airfares will negatively impact incomes of labor migrants and cause damage to the country’s budget, according to him.
The antimonopoly committee considers that there is no necessity in making changes to the laws “On Natural Monopolies” and “On Competitions”. “We have explained that when the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) fulfills its obligations, that is a loan is provided, the antimonopoly commissions will not regulate prices [determined by the air carrier] following the law on natural monopolies,” said Ashurov, “But in this case, the law on competitions will take effect. That is if any actions by the national airline “Tojikiston” hurt rights of other air companies and “Tojikiston” holds dominating positions on the market, the law will control it and will not allow this.”
Information posted on the EBRD website says that the EBRD with the support of Japanese and Dutch donors have been working with the Tajik government since 1995 to improve the country’s air services. These include: US$ 4 million in EBRD loans and US$ 2 million grant from the Japan Fund for Post-Conflict Support to improve air traffic control and air navigation systems; a US$ 1.8 million EBRD loan and US$ 2.5 million grant from the Japan Fund in 1999 for repairs to the Khujand runway; a US$ 4 million grant from the Netherlands for runway repairs in Dushanbe in 1997; and in late 2004 the EBRD Board approved a loan of US$ 5 million for Tajik State Air to cover expenses related to the airline’s plan to lease two or more relatively new western type airplanes.
