DUSHANBE, December 15, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- By the end of the year, gasoline prices are expected to have fallen more, according to the antimonopoly and entrepreneurship development directorate within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT).

  The source at the antimonopoly directorate noted that gasoline prices in Dushanbe have decreased   by more than 20 percent since early November, with similar price falls in other parts of the country.

“Specialists from our directorate jointly with representatives of the ministry of energy and industries as well as Tojikstandart (state agency for standardization, metrology, certification and trade inspection) have carried out considerable work on regulation of the fuel market in the country,” said the source, “Besides, agreements on new fuel prices have been reached with countries that provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports.”    

According to him, gasoline prices in oil product export countries have decreased some 50 percent in recent months.   

In the meantime, the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) said that at present Tajikistan ’s largest oil product suppliers are Gazpromneft-Tajikistan, Tojiron and Umed, accounting for some 80 percent of the country’s oil product shipments.

Tajikistan now imports oil products mainly from Russia , which accounts for 70 percent of Tajikistan ’s fuel imports, as well as Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan .

Today, an average price of one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe is 2.50 somoni, 93-octane gasoline costs 2.30 somoni per one liter and 75-octane gasoline – 2.10 somoni.   The price of one liter of diesel fuel in Dushanbe is now 3.0 somoni.