Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament has endorsed amendments made to the country’s law on natural monopolies.
Under these amendments, subjects of natural monopoly are obligated to promptly post information about tariffs for goods (work, services) on their websites.
The amendments, in particular, notes that public discussions are held no later than 10 days before making a final decision on the approval of tariffs for goods (work, services) of the natural monopoly subjects.
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.
There are 30 companies on Tajikistan’s register of entities of natural monopoly. Among them are 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, etc.
There is also a separate register of dominating companies, which now includes 96 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 “Sharqi Ozod”, known as GZhK, which offers premises to lease and printing services, is also on the register of dominating companies.
