DUSHANBE, September 29, Asia-Plus  -- In Dushanbe, dwelling prices have risen 5 percent since March of this year, Fayzali Rajabov, the head of the Association of Builders of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, dwelling prices fell in Tajikistan from November 2008 to March 2009.  “However, the dwelling prices have risen 5 percent in the Tajik capital since last March,” Rajabov said, noting that dwelling prices will not fall in the country in the near future.

The expert attributes rise in dwelling prices to a slow in the construction area.  “Practically no funds have been invested in construction of residential buildings in the country this year so far,” he said.

In Dushanbe, current dwelling prices fluctuate from $500 to $800 per one square meter for dormitory areas, while in the center of Dushanbe, the price of one square meter of a dwelling is some $1,500, Rajabov said.

The expert added that no state-run construction company now operated in the country.  “All the construction companies operating in Tajikistan are private,” said he.  “There are some 1,500 various construction companies in Tajikistan, but only 20 of them are engaged in construction of residential buildings, while others build roads, bridges, power plants and so forth.”