DUSHANBE, September 15, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s government has passed a resolution prohibiting the antimonopoly agency from regulating fares determined by the national air carrier.   

According to the Tajik airline press service, the Tajik government on September 6 passed  the resolution “On the State Unitary Air Enterprise “Tojikiston.” 

A source in the air carrier said that by the government’s resolution the Tajik state air company “Tojikiston” is renamed “Tajik Air” and the company’s new charter is approved.   

“The resolution allows the company determining and using flexible fares on international air routes by itself, depending on the season and passenger traffic without coordinating them with antimonopoly commission,” Ms. Nazira Davlatova, a spokeswoman for the air carrier said.  

Davlatova said, “This resolution has been passed in accordance with Articles 53 and 55 of Tajikistan’s Civil Code and in the line with an agreement between Tajikistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development of July 27, 2005.” 

Specialists from the air carrier say it is becoming more and more difficult for them compete with other companies operating flights to Tajikistan.  “If last year, 18 companies operated flights to Tajikistan, to date a number of them has risen to 21, including 13 air companies from Russia, two air companies from Kyrgyzstan, one from Kazakhstan, and four others from the far abroad states,” the source said.  

“No any agency regulates tariff policy of the western air companies operating in Tajikistan; these companies determine fares meeting the market requirements, while “Tojikiston” has not been able to do this until very recently,” the Tajik air carrier source stressed.  

According to information from the country’s antimonopoly agency, they have already received the mentioned resolution of the government.  However, they have still refrained from commenting on it.