KHOROG, KHUJAND, QURGHON TEPPA, May 4, 2011, Asia-Plus — A sudden spike in gasoline prices and fuel shortages have been reported in the provinces.
Sunatullo Davlatov, the deputy head of the Antimonopoly Agency’s office in Khatlon province, says current average prices of gasoline and diesel fuel at refueling stations in the province is 5.20 somoni per liter.
According to him, the price hike has resulted from Russia’s recent decision to raise duties on fuel exports. “We hoped that Russia will lift duty on gasoline exports for Tajikistan, but it, on contrary, has raised it by 44 percent,” Davlatov said.
He noted that following that decision of the Russian government, some private companies dealing with delivering oil products to Tajikistan have temporarily suspended fuel shipments to the province.
“The only large fuel supplier is now Gazpromneft-Tajikistan that sent nine freight cars loaded with oil products to Qurghon Teppa and four freight cars loaded with oil products to Kulob on May 2,” Davlatov added.
In Qurghon Teppa, current prices are 5.20 somoni for one liter of 92-octane gasoline and 5.40 somoni for one liter of 95-octane gasoline. There are rumors among local drivers that gasoline prices will rise to 8.00 somoni per liter by the end of May.
Saidjon Yusupov, an operator at one of local refueling stations, says gasoline prices depend not on refueling stations but on large suppliers. “We are engaged in retail trade in oil products and our markup is not more than 20 diram per one liter,” he noted.
The gasoline price hike has led to increase in prices of basic food products and a number of services, including transportation, in Khatlon province.
In the meantime, rising fuel prices have led to an acute shortage of gasoline in Khujand, the administrative center of the northern Sughd province. Fuel shortages have been experienced in the city since May 2. Some refueling stations along the road from Khujand to Jabborrasoulov district are now not in operation. They say gasoline is over and it is not known when gasoline shipments will be resumed.
The majority of refueling stations in Khujand have limited sales to 20 liters of gasoline per car.
The price of one liter of 92-octane gasoline has risen in Khorog, the administrative of Gorno Badakhshan from 5.40 somoni on May 1 to 5.70 somoni. As of May 4, 80-octane gasoline is selling for 5.50 somoni per liter, up 30 diram since May 1. The price of one liter of diesel fuel has risen in Khorog from 5.70 somoni on May 1 to 6.00 somoni.
Specialist say the price hike has resulted from the rising prices of gasoline in Dushanbe and Kulob that provide the bulk of Khorog’s fuel shipments. The gasoline price hike is expected to lead to increase in the price of basic food products in the region.
