Liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have risen more than 50 percent in Dushanbe over the past month – from 2.50 somoni per liter in late May to the current 3.80 somoni per liter.
Suppliers attribute a price hike to increasing wholesale prices for liquefied natural gas in LNG exporting countries.
According to them, the price hike has resulted from the rising wholesale prices of liquefied natural gas in Russia and Kazakhstan, which provide the bulk of Tajikistan's fuel imports. Moreover, those countries have limited sales in connection with harvest season.
The Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, however, says it cannot make supplier of LNG cut down their prices.
The Antimonopoly officials say they cannot interfere with the liquefied gas pricing process since there are no dominating companies in the country’s LNG market.
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, according to the Antimonopoly Agency.
Meanwhile, it is to be noted that LNG prices rise in Tajikistan seasonally. Thus, LNG prices in November last year rose in Dushanbe nearly 16 percent – from 3.30 somoni at the begging of the month to 3.80 somoni in later November.
The fueling stations said at the time that the price hike had resulted from increasing LNG prices in Kazakhstan, which provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s LNG imports.
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.
Tajikistan’s annual requirements in liquefied natural gas are more than 400,000 tons. Last year, Tajikistan imported more than 430,000 ton of liquefied natural gas.
