Prices for petroleum products in Tajikistan have risen since the beginning of this year, but the first sharp jump in petroleum product prices occurred in the first ten days of March, when the price of the 92-octane gasoline, which is the most sought-after grade of automobile gas in the country, rose 25 percent, the price of diesel fuel rose almost 15 percent and the price for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose 9.0 percent.
Over the first eight months of this year, gasoline prices have risen 58.9 percent, diesel fuel prices – 25 percent, ad LNG prices – 80 percent.
Current price for one liter of the 92-octane gasoline in Dushanbe is 10.30 somonis and current prices for one liter of LNG in the Tajik capital is 7.80 somonis (more than 60 percent of the country's motor vehicles use liquefied natural gas as fuel). Current price for one liter of diesel fuel in Dushanbe is 9.40 percent.
According to data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, Tajikistan has imported US$234,000 worth of 389,000 tons of petroleum products over the first eight month of this year, which was 6.0 percent fewer by weight and 17.7 percent more by cost compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, experts say the petroleum product prices will continue to rise in Tajikistan due to high tax rates.
Specialists from the Antimonopoly Agency of Tajikistan say the price hike has resulted from the rising international prices of petroleum that has led to increase in the cost of petroleum products in the petroleum product exporting countries.
Thus, the shipping cost of one ton of the 92-octane gasoline at the Omsk oil refinery in Russia, which provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s gasoline imports, has risen 2.2 times (from US$300.00 in January to US$670.00 on October 6). Over the reporting period, the shipping price of one tone of diesel fuel at the Omsk oil refinery has risen 73 percent (from US$335.00 to US$580.00).
Over the same nine-month period, the shipping cost of LNG in Kazakhstan, which provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s LNG imports, has risen 45 percent (from US$385 to US$560). The Antimonopoly Agency of Tajikistan says the LNG price hike has resulted from periodic restrictions on its export imposed by Kazakhstan due to the lack of LNG in the domestic market.
Specialists of the Antimonopoly agency also note that petroleum product price hike has also been caused by the increase in the cost of rail freight in Kazakhstan.
The petroleum product prices are expected to rise in Tajikistan gradually as new consignments arrive.
The price of one liter of the 92-octane gasoline in Dushanbe is expected to rise 3.8 percent until the end of this month (from 10.40 somonis on October 6 to 10.80 somonis on October 30). The price of one liter of the diesel fuel is expected to rise this month 6.2 percent (from 9.60 somonis on October 6 to 10.20 somonis on October 30).
By mid-November, the price for one liter of the 92-octae gasoline in Dushanbe is expected to rise to 10 somonis, with similar price rises in other parts of the country. The price of the diesel fuel in Dushanbe will rise to 10.50 somonis, with similar price rises in other parts of the country.
