DUSHANBE, KHOROG, November 28, Asia-Plus /Gasoline prices are continuing to rise in Tajikistan.
Gasoline prices jumped in the country yesterday.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the price of one liter of gasoline has risen in Tajikistan on average from 2.43 somonis in July to 3.23, with similar price rises in the provinces.
In the meantime, yesterday, the price of one liter of 96-octne gasoline in Dushanbe was 4.5 somonis.
Specialists from a MoEDT say fuel prices are rising all over the world, and the effects of this re felt everywhere. The price hike has resulted from the world market trends, according to them. Besides, the gasoline price risings could also be a result of the fact that excise duty on fuel imports should be paid in euros. Today, an exchange rate of euro to somoni is 1:5.12.
“Moreover, Russia, which provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports, has raised customs duty on fuel exports,” the specialists said, noting that local private companies are also delivering gasoline and other oil products from Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Some 20 private companies are now engaged in delivery of oil products to Tajikistan: Zuhro; Akramzod; Khonaqo Nefteprodukt; Nouri Dilshod, Avesto, etc.
In the meantime, Tajikistan has produced little more than 20,000 tons of oil over the first nine months of this year, which is 14 percent or 2,555 tons more than in the same period of last year.
In January-October 2007, Tajikistan has imported 198,800 tons of gasoline and 124,300 tons of diesel fuel, The price of gasoline imported over the report period had averaged $483 per one ton.
Meanwhile, the gasoline price risings have been reported in Gorno Badakhshan as well. Last weekends the price of gasoline in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan, which had averaged 2.8 somonis a liter, yesterday rose to 4 somonis. Workers of local refuel stations says the price hike has resulted from the rising cost of the petroleum products in Dushanbe and Kulob because gasoline is delivered to Gorno Badakhshan mainly from these two cities.
Rising fuel prices will lead to increase in the prices of basic food products in the country.
