Liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have risen nearly 16 percent in Dushanbe.
The price for one liter of liquefied natural gas in Dushanbe has increased from 3.30 somoni at the beginning of this month to 3.80 somoni.
Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s LNG imports and the fueling stations say the price hike has resulted from increasing LNG prices in Kazakhstan. Tajikistan receives deliveries of liquefied gas by road and rail.
More than 60 percent of the country's motor vehicles use liquefied natural gas as fuel.
The Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, however, says it cannot make supplier of LNG cut down their prices.
“We cannot interfere with the liquefied gas pricing process since there are no dominating companies in the country’s LNG market,” an official source at the Antimonopoly Agency told Asia-Plus in an interview.
In accordance with the country’s antimonopoly legislation, companies accounting for 35 percent of market are put on the register of dominating companies.
Three entities with a total share of not less than 50 percent and five entities with a total share of not less than 70 percent are also put on the register of dominating companies.
Before introducing new fees, such companies must coordinate them with the Antimonopoly Agency.
“Dozens of different companies are engaged in supplying LNG to Tajikistan but the share of none of them exceeds even 20 percent,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan in September this year has set the marginal wholesale price of one ton of LNG at 38,700 tenge (equivalent to little more than US$100) for the period from October 1 to December 31, 2019 (VAT not included).
Kazakhstan sets the marginal wholesale price for LNG quarterly.
