DUSHANBE, May 30, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Russia has decided to increase tariffs for oil products to Tajikistan.

Russia’s news agency, RIA Novosti, reports the Russian government has decided to increase the export duty on oil products in order to stabilize gasoline prices in domestic market.

According to the new tariffs, the export duty on Russian gasoline going to Tajikistan will rise more than 1.8 percent starting on June 1, up from the current US$408.30.

Export duty on other light oil products will increase from US$304.00 to US$309.60.

The new tariffs will be in effect until July 1, 2011.

The Russian Cabinet representatives were cited as saying that the measure was temporary and promising to cancel it if the gasoline shortage problem is tackled.

In May Russia increased tariffs for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan but later waived the new tariffs for Kyrgyzstan.

We will recall that Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gasoline exports from 1995-2010.  When Russia cancelled Tajikistan''s tax exemption on May 1, 2010, Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov sent a letter to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin asking for the tax-free status to be restored.  Afterward, working groups from the two sides held several rounds of negotiations on this subject.