DUSHANBE, April 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The new law requiring restraint on import of goods that are produced in Tajikistan itself will lead to increase of prices of similar domestic goods and it is unrealistic to hope for improvement of quality of domestic goods, Chairman of the Consumers Union of Tajikistan Bahodur Habibov said in an interview with Asia-Plus, commenting on the import limiting law adopted by the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) yesterday.

According to him, the law will just depress free competition in the domestic market; in other words, it will lead to decrease in the number of goods and the increase in the number of purchasers (demand is outgrowing supply, buyers over).

“Under such conditions, realizing that foreign producers will not compete with them, domestic producers will not care for improvement of quality of their goods,” said Habibov, “Thus, similar obstacles were put last year on the way of importing cars into the Russia Federation; however, statistics have shown  that that car imports have not reduced and sale of Russian-made cars has not increased.”

Founded in 2002, the Consumers'' Union of Tajikistan is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization created by experts in the areas of consumer rights, the economy and the justice system.  The Union is dedicated to protect consumers'' rights, act in the interest of consumers and build a fair and competitive market of goods and services in Tajikistan.