Tajikistan’s imports from Russia of petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG) under the agreement on the indicative fuel balance have reportedly increased over the first six months of this year.
According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR), Tajikistan has imported 524,200 tons of petroleum products from Russia under the agreement on the indicative fuel balance for this year in January-June this year.
A totaled reportedly included 236,600 tons of gasoline, 223,200 tons of diesel fuel; 22,700 tons of jet fuel, 62,000 tons of fuel oil, 27,900 tons of bitumen, 5,400 tons of lubricants, and 8,200 tons of LNG.
An official source at a MoEWR says Tajikistan's imports from Russia of petroleum products over the first six months of this year under the agreement on the indicative fuel balance have increased by 14.3 percent or 65,000 tons compared to the same period this year and accounted for 54 percent of the indicative fuel balance.
It is to be noted that Russia provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports.
Recall, Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gas exports from 1995 to 2010 and Russia cancelled Tajikistan’s tax exemption on May 1, 2010 that resulted in gasoline prices rising in the country.
On February 2, 2013, the government of Tajikistan and Russia signed an agreement on duty-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan
Under this agreement, the sides consider and endorse the indicative fuel balance for the next calendar before October 1 of each year. Fuels delivered in addition to the indicative fuel balance will be liable to export duty.
Russian petroleum products delivered to Tajikistan in the volumes not exceeding those agreed on indicative balance are not subject to re-export to the third countries.
In accordance with amendments made to the government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on petroleum product deliveries to Tajikistan, Tajikistan should provide its proposals on formation of the indicative fuel balances to Russia every year until September 5
Relevant bodies of the two countries should coordinate Tajikistan's internal fuel consumption volumes for the next year and sign indicative balances until October 1.
Besides, Tajikistan should provide information on implementation of indicative balances for nine months and the expected implementation of them during the current calendar year to Russia every year until November 15.
The sides can change the volumes of provided duty-free petroleum products for the current year until August 20 taking into account the reasonable change of internal consumption in Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, Tajikistan has imported a total of more than 783,800 tons of petroleum products and LNG over the first six months of this year, which is 10.3 percent more than in the same period last year.
Over the same six-month period, Tajikistan has imported 156.5 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan, which is 57.6 million cubic meters more than in the same period last year.
