According to data from the Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, the register of dominating companies now includes 98 economic entities.
Compared to the beginning of 2014, when 63 economic entities were on the register of dominating companies, the number of such legal (companies) and physical (individual entrepreneurs) entities has reportedly increased by 48 percent.
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.
Mobile phone operators Indigo Tajikistan (Tcell), TT-Mobile (Megafon Tajikistan), Babilon-Mobile and Tacom (ZetMobile, formerly Beeline) as well as Tajik-Chinese joint ventures Chzhungtsai Mohir Cement, Huaxin Gayur Cement, and Huaxin Gayur Sughd Cement are on the register of dominating companies.
Besides, petroleum product suppliers Gazpromneft-Tajikistan and Se Ganj, as well as Agency for State Material Reserves, Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Fuel Company (TZK), which is the only jet fuel supplier in the country, TALCO Resource and Fon-Yaghnob, which are engaged on coal producing, are on the register of the dominating companies in Tajikistan.
The state-owned Newspaper and Magazine Complex “Sarqi Ozod”, known as GZhK, which offers premises to lease and printing services, is also on the register of dominating companies.
Besides, there is separate register of entities of natural monopoly. Barqi Tojik (Tajik national power utility company), Somon Air (Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier), Tajik Air (Tajik national air carrier), all international airports operating in the country, Tajik Railways (Tajik state railways company), and OJSC Tojiktransgaz (Tajik state natural gas distributing company are on the register of entities of natural monopoly.
A natural monopoly is a monopoly in an industry in which high infrastructural costs and other barriers to entry relative to the size of the market give the largest supplier in an industry, often the first supplier in a market, an overwhelming advantage over potential competitors.
