DUSHANBE, April 20, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Railways has replied to a letter by the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe that asks Tajikistan to review its increase in transit fees for Afghanistan-bound cargo.

The Tajik Railways deputy head Usmon Qalandarov told Asia-Plus today they are ready to compromise over transit tariffs for cargo bound for Afghanistan if Afghan companies dealing with fuel shipments to Afghanistan via Tajik territory guarantee a certain volume of transit cargo.  According to him, Tajik Railways have agreements with those companies and they have not raised the transit tariff issue with the Tajik state rail company so far.

“Only three Afghan companies are currently dealing with fuel shipments to Afghanistan via our territory – Zulfiqar Haqir, Pisarlay Sharafat Ltd and HB Inter Logistics,” said Qalandarov, “Meanwhile, limited liability company, Faroz, that has no business with rail shipments has brought the transit fee issue to Tajik Railways’ attention.  Faroz has not signed any cargo shipment agreements with Tajik Railways.  This company is engaged in fuel shipments by vehicles, and therefore, we may not consider applications over our tariff policy by legal entities that do no work with us.”

He stressed once again that Tajik Railways was ready to consider proposals of companies cooperating with it, if they guaranteed a certain volume of transit cargo.

Qalandarov added that 83,700 tons of Afghanistan-bound cargo has been shipped to Afghanistan through the Amuzang-Qurghon Teppa section over the first three months of this year, which was 75 tons more than in the same period last year.

We will recall that Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry and Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently asked Tajikistan to review its increase in transit fees for Afghanistan-bound cargo.  They, in particular, noted that unilateral and unexpected rise in transit tariffs has created problems for the transit of goods from Russia, and other former Soviet states to Afghanistan.

Amir Hamza Sahroi, head of the economic section of the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe, told Asia-Plus on April 18 that if Tajikistan does not reconsider its increase in transit tariffs for Afghanistan-bound cargo, Afghan companies will seek alternative railroad lines to bypass Tajikistan.

Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister Nizomiddin Zohidov told reporters on Aril 18 that the issue of customs duties and tariffs is completely an economic issue but some people want to give political color to this issue.  “Taking into account high level of bilateral cooperation between our countries, we are sure that the issue will be solved in the near future,” Zohidov noted.