The Government of Tajikistan has got the right to influence the prices for socially significant goods that is it now has the right to change prices for socially significant goods towards reduction.

A regular sitting of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament, presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, took place on February 1.

Presenting the bill on protection of competition to lawmakers, Saadi Qodirzoda, the head of the Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, noted that under the bill a producer or a supplier of one or another commodity meeting more than 15 percent of requirements of the country’s market would be put on the register of monopolists.

Before than only producers and suppliers meeting 25 percent of requirements of the country’s market had been put on the register of monopolists.

According to Qodirzoda, this measure is aimed at protecting rights and interests of consumers, developing small and medium-sized enterprises in the country, regulating pricing, preventing groundless rise in prices, and protecting robust competition.

The bill provides for measures to regulate prices for basic food products on threshold of Eid al-Fitr (the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting) and Eid al-Adha (the Festival of the Sacrifice), Qodirzoda added.  

Parliamentarians unanimously voted for the bill.