DUSHANBE, August 4, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- In Tajikistan, prices for food products have risen on average 5-10 percent over the last week, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) said.

Specialists from MEDT note that rising food prices is a global phenomenon that is caused by a variety of factors.  They blame the latest price hikes in the country on an increase in the price of Russian fuel.  Russia provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports.  The MEDT experts also noted that speculation, unstable domestic production, rising prices in producer countries and the U.S. dollar’s rise against the local currency were also among main factors for increase in food prices in Tajikistan.

“To regulate the pricing situation in the country there ought to carry out a full-scale reform in the economy and enhance monetary and tax systems,” said the source.  “It is impossible to tackle the problem of rising prices when entrepreneurs continue suffering burden of high taxes.  Today, entrepreneur in Tajikistan gives more than 80 percent of his/her income to tax bodies.”  

In the meantime, according to the findings of monitoring conducted by the MEDT specialists at Dushanbe’s bazaars, average prices for meat, vegetable oil, sugar, milk, tea and gasoline have risen 30, 56, 59, 50, 60 and 45 percent respectively since July last year.

Prices for wheat flour have also risen considerably since July 2010.  The price for a 50-kilgoram sack of domestic grade 1 flour has risen to 135.00 somoni, an increase of some 36 percent, and the price for a 50-kilogram sack of Kazakh grade 1 flour has risen 30 percent in a year to July 31, 2011, reaching 137.00 somoni.

Food prices in Tajikistan have risen dramatically over the first six months of this year due to increase in the price of fuel 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.