DUSHANBE, January 6, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- On January 1, 2009, domestic natural-gas prices for all categories of consumers were raised, according to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT).

New domestic natural-gas prices have not yet been approved; however, according to the preliminary data of Tojikgaz (Tajik state natural-gas distributor), they may amount to 1,000-1,100 somoni (TJS) per 1,000 cubic meters.

We will recall that in 2008, domestic natural-gas price was 688.15 somoni (equivalent to more than 198 US dollars) per 1,000 cubic meters, while the price of gas imports last year was set at $145 per 1,000 cubic meters.   

As it had been reported earlier, the agreement, concluded with officials from Uztransgaz, the state gas producer in Uzbekistan, on December 31 sets the price of gas imports at $240 per 1,000 cubic meters, a 65.5 percent increase over last year’s price, and covers the import of some 530 million cubic meters of natural gas from Uzbekistan through 2009.