DUSHANBE, August 10, Asia-Plus — Gasoline prices are continuing to rise in the Tajik capital.
Over the past month, gasoline prices in Dushanbe have risen on average by 13.5 percent, according to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade.
The source says that over the past month, the price of 96-octane gasoline, which had averaged 2.10 Somonis a liter, has risen to 2.4 Somonis, with similar price rises in other regions of the country. The price of one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe has risen from 2.00 Somonis to 2.3 Somonis, and one liter of 80-octane gasoline has risen from 1.80 Somonis to 2.00 Somonis.
Experts from the Ministry of Economy and Trade say the price hike has resulted from rising cost of fuel on the world market, in particular from rising cost of petroleum products in Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, which provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports.
According to the source, in January-June 2006, Tajikistan has imported totaling over 170,000 tons oil products for a total amount of more than US$80 million from Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Iran, Estonia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Korea and the United Kingdom. The totaled included 82,000 toms of gasoline for more than US$35 million.
