DUSHANBE, June 4, 2009, Asia-Plus — Specialists from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT) are monitoring prices of consumer goods at country’s bazaars.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Anvar Latipov, an aide to the minister of economic development and trade, said that working groups had been set up to monitor consumer goods prices in all regions of the country, including Dushanbe. The groups consist of specialists from the MoEDT department for antimonopoly policy. The groups monitor mainly prices of basic food products and fuels.
In the meantime, prices of some basic food products have risen some 12-13 percent over the past two weeks. Thus, the price for a 50 kilogram sack of grade 1 wheat flour has risen from 90.00 somoni on May 25 to 103.00 somoni at Dushanbe’s Shohmansour bazaars (some 13 percent rise), with similar price rises at other bazaars of the city. The price of one kilogram of sugar has risen from 3.50 somoni on May 25 to 4.00 somoni (some 12 percent rise).
Prices of local cooking (cotton) oil and agricultural output have remained unchanged and some agricultural goods have even fallen in price. For example, the price of one kilogram of potatoes has decreased from 1.40 somoni on May 25 to 1.20 somoni, the price of kilogram of onions has fallen from 1.50 somoni to 1.30 somoni, and the price of one kilogram of carrots has decreased from 1.20 somoni to 1.00 somoni.
Meanwhile, prices of some imported food products have increased over the report period. The price of one liter of imported vegetable oil has risen from 6.00-9.00 somoni, depending on the producer country, on May 25 to 7.00-10.00 somoni.
However, gasoline prices have decreased by more than 6 percent over the past ten days. We will recall that a sudden spike in gasoline prices was reported in Dushanbe from May 20 to 27. The price of one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe rose over the report period from 2.60 somoni to 3.40 somoni. Today, one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe costs 3.20 somoni.
