DUSHANBE, September 14, Asia-Plus – Prices of fuel and basic food products are continuing to rise in Tajikistan.
According to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, rising gasoline prices and some seasonal reasons have led to a 10 percent increase in the prices of food products such as wheat flour, tomatoes, and potatoes in Tajikistan since early August.
“For example, the price of the local first grade wheat flour, which had averaged 47.2 somonis per 50 kilograms, rose to 50 somonis. The price of the imported first grade wheat flour have risen from 48.4 somonis to 52.5 somonis,” said the source, “However, despite the increase in prices of flour the price of bread has remained the same.”
As far as potatoes are concerned, the price of potatoes, which had averaged 1.14 somonis a kilogram, has risen rose to 1.3 somonis since early August.
Experts from the price monitoring section of the Ministry of Economy and Trade say this increase in prices of the food products is seasonal but the rising cost of fuel has also affected the foodstuffs prices.
Since the beginning of August, gasoline prices in Dushanbe rose on average by 30 percent, and prices of liquefied gas by 16 percent.
Over the mentioned period, the price of 96-octane gasoline has risen from 2.30 somonis a liter to 2.90 somonis in Dushanbe, with similar price rises in other regions of the country. The price of one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe rose from 2.20 Somonis to 2.80 Somonis and one liter of 80-octane gasoline went from 1.95 Somonis to 2.70 Somonis.
“In the meantime, the price of liquefied gas has risen gradually by 0.4 somoni since the beginning of the year — from 2.50 somonis a kilogram to 2.90 somonis,” the source said, adding that rising liquefied gas prices are result of increase in demand for this kind of fuel.
“After Tajik authorities put a ban on use of natural gas as fuel for vehicles, the demand for liquefied gas has increased in the country,” the source said, adding that experts expect the liquefied gas prices to rise in future as well.
According to the source, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the main suppliers of liquefied gas to Tajikistan.
