DUSHANBE, July 23, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- A draft regulation on the procedure of formation and use of free prices for goods and services worked out by the Antimonopoly Agency has not yet been submitted for consideration to the Government, Akbar Khojayev, an official with the Antimonopoly Agency, told reporters on July 22.

According to him, relevant ministries are agency are still considering the draft regulation that was worked out by the Antimonopoly Agency in early June.  

The Antimonopoly Agency official said the initiative was aimed at ensuring reasonable formation of consumer prices.  This document provides for setting the rate of retail markup for separate socially significant goods.  The list of such goods is not so large and includes meat, sugar, oil, fuels and medicines.

“Of course, Tajikistan adheres to free market policies and formation of prices is free, except several spheres of government monopoly (energy, transportation and communications),” said Khojayev, “However, free formation of prices does not mean that anarchy should reign in market.”

“The government ought to interfere in order to stabilize the situation.  In case of necessity, such a practice has been used in many countries of the world.”

The Antimonopoly Agency wants retail dealers, buying essential goods wholesale, not to be able to set markup as they want, Khojayev said.

We will recall Food prices in Tajikistan have risen dramatically due to increase in fuel prices and the U.S. dollar''s rise against the local currency.  According to official data, Tajikistan imports 60 percent of its food and all of its fuel and mineral fertilizers.