DUSHANBE, October 25, Asia-Plus -- The Tajik antimonopoly agency head Rahmonali Amirov told journalists in Dushanbe on October 25 that Tajikistan has imported more than 200,000 tons of oil products over the first three quarters of this year.  

According to him, 106,114.6 tons of gasoline have been delivered to the republic over the report period, which is 13,985.6 tons more compared to January-September 2005.  Over the same nine-month period, Tajikistan has also imported 56,967.3 tons of diesel fuel (22,994.6 tons more compared to the same period of last year) and 38,153.1 tons of air kerosene (10,000 tons more).  

At the same time, gasoline prices have risen by 1.3 percent and the air kerosene prices by 3.25 percent, while the diesel fuel prices have come down by 23.9 percent. 

According to the antimonopoly agency, the price of gasoline in Dushanbe has averaged 2.93 somonis as of October 1, and the price of diesel fuel to this day has averaged 2.2 somonis a liter.    

Amirov also noted that the antimonopoly commission had toughened measures against possible illegal deal and no uses a new method to identify monopolists in the country’s markets.  “Amendments have been made to the RT Law “On Competition and restriction of Monopolistic Activity on Commodity Markets” to prevent illegal agreements between participants in the markets to intentionally raise prices,” said the antimonopoly agency head, “Under these amendments now not only a company controlling 35 percent of market is put on the register of monopolists, but even a company that controls only 5 percent of the market can be listed if it can unfairly affect it.” 

As an example, he cited companies supplying fuel to the country. “We are currently considering the possibility of putting the enterprise Umed-88 supplying oil products to the Kulob zone of Khatlon and the firm Suhrob supplying fuel to the Qurghon Teppa zone of Khatlon and Dushanbe on the register of monopolists.”    

Amirov noted that in order to not be considered monopolists, some entrepreneurs supplying gasoline to Tajikistan set up three or four companies under different names.   

Under the law the entity put on the register of monopolists should coordinate its activity, including determination of prices, with the antimonopoly agency.