DUSHANBE, April 18, 2011, Asia-Plus — If Tajikistan does not reconsider its increase in transit tariffs for Afghanistan-bound cargo, Afghan companies will seek alternative railroad lines to bypass Tajikistan, Amir Hamza Sahroi, head of the economic section of the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe, said in an interview with Asia-plus.
According to him, the Afghan Embassy recently handed over a note of the Afghan MFA on this subject to the Tajik Foreign Ministry. The note reportedly expresses concern about unexpected rise in transit fees by Tajik Railways for cargo bound for Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also asked Tajikistan to review its increase in transit fees for Afghanistan-bound cargo because this unilateral and unexpected rise in transit tariffs does not promote expansion of bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries,” Sahroi noted, adding that copies of those letters have also been sent to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Finance and Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
We will recall that Afghanistan.ru reported on April 11 that Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) is concerned over rise in Tajikistan’s transit duty. The Afghan CCI head Mohammad Qurban Haqjou told reporters that unilateral and unexpected decision by Tajikistan to raise transit fee for one ton of cargo bound for Afghanistan on average by US$6.00 has created problems for the transit of goods from Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states to Afghanistan.
Afghan media outlets noted that Tajikistan became the third country, after Pakistan and Iran, which created serious problems for transit of Afghanistan-bound cargo.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on April 12 that Sahroi said Afghanistan has been paying $12.45 for every ton of cargo transited through the 132 kilometers of Tajik railroad lines but that Tajikistan is now asking for $20 per ton. He said that according to an interstate agreement between the two countries, Tajikistan had agreed to transit 2 million tons of cargo to Afghanistan at the lower price.
