DUSHANBE, May 7, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Innovative Road Solutions (IRS) yesterday posted a statement on its website in response to accusations from Mr. Amonullo Ashour, the head of the Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan.
The statement titled “Foreign Company IRS Takes Care of People More than Amonullo Ashour,” in particular says that a statement by Director of the Antimonopoly Agency Amonullo Ashour, posted on the website of the News Agency Asia-Plus is baseless.
According to the IRS statement, fulfilling its obligations on the concession agreement, the company submitted the toll rates for the Dushanbe-Chanak highway for 2010 for consideration to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in an official letter of December 2, 2009 and the toll rates were approved.
“…When coordinating the current rates, the company presented all financial and economic studies and Mr. Amonullo Ashour endorsed these rates,” said the statement by IRS, “As far as his statement about submission of financial report is concerned, IRS submitted all information to the Antimonopoly Agency together with studies.”
IRS stresses that since the company has still launched only two of seven toll service stations on the highway, the project is currently working for only 18 percent, and therefore factual data of flow of traffic cannot be grounds for review of rates for the whole length of the highway.
“Taking into account 40 percent losses resulting from users’ resistance, the company does not consider it possible and reasonable to regulate rates for 354 kilometers,” said the statement, “Moreover, the Antimonopoly Agency has already received all financial studies carried out by the company. The company must launch all the toll service stations in order to determine its capital expenditure for the purpose of ensuring sustainable maintenance of the highway.”
The IRS statement also notes that the tariffs that were set do not cover all expenses of the projects.
On the preferential tax regime, IRS says it was provided in order to avoid rise in the toll rates.
It also notes that unfounded accusations from Amonullo Ashour against IRS undermined the company’s image, creating social instability during the period of implementation of the project. “Moral and financial consequences are significant for our company,” said the statement, “In this connection, IRS reserves the right to take measures and to appeal in International Court of Arbitration.”
We will recall that Mr. Amonullo Ashour told Asia-Plus on May 5 that the toll road is now operating illegally, RFE/RL”s Tajik Service reports. He noted that IRS was permitted to operate the toll at previously agreed prices on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway for one month, in April, and that the toll road operation since May 1 is illegal. Mr. Ashour said that under the agreement between the company and the government, IRS was required to coordinate its pricing policy with the antimonopoly agency and to review the toll rates after April. “However, the company does not want to lower the rates,” said Ashour, “Moreover, they refuse to submit report on their activities to the antimonopoly agency justifying the refusal by saying that it is a commercial secret.”
He added that the antimonopoly agency on May 4 sent a written ruling on suspension of the road toll management mechanism for the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak highway to IRS and copies of the ruling were sent to the Ministry of Transport Communications and the administration of the Varzob district.
The antimonopoly agency head stressed that IRS is exempted from paying all types of taxes existing in Tajikistan, except social tax deducted from monthly wages of its employees. “Road tolls are used by the company only for maintaining the highway and recovering the allegedly understated tariffs,” he said.
