DUSHANBE, October 2, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s antimonopoly commission intends to determine monopolists on the country’s market by new principle.  

Amonullo Ashurov, the deputy head of the Antimonopoly Committee, said that in the near future, they will work out a new principle of compiling a list of dominating entities (monopolists) on the country’s market.  “The work is carried out in accordance with the RT Law “On Changes and Addenda to the RT Law “On the Competition and the Restriction of Monopolist Activity on Commodity Markets,” Ashurov said. 

“Amendments were made to avoid the possibility of illegal deals between participants of the market to intentionally raise prices for example,” said the antimonopoly official, “Now not only the company controlling 35 percent of market is put on the register of monopolists but also that company, which controls only 5 percent of the market but is capable to affect it.” 

As example, he termed companies supplying fuel to the country.  “In order not to be considered as dominating entities some entrepreneurs supplying gasoline to Tajikistan set up three or four companies under different names,” Ashurov said, noting that under the law the entity put on the register of monopolists should coordinate its activity, including determination of prices, with the antimonopoly agency.   

“Experts from the antimonopoly commission will consider and study all arguments of the company on raising or cutting down prices and then give their resolution,” the Tajik official said.  

According to the antimonopoly agency, 55 companies and enterprises have to date been put on the register of dominating entities in Tajikistan.  Among them are Tajik Aluminum Plant (TadAZ), Anzob Refinery, gold-mining companies Zeravshan and Aprelevka, coal-mining enterprise Angisht, cellular operator Babilon-M, etc.