DUSHANBE, June 10, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Turkmen fuel deliveries to Tajikistan have reportedly increased lately.

Bozorali Begmatov, an official with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) noted at a roundtable, formally titled “Tajikistan’s Fuel Market: Problems and Solutions to Them,” in Dushanbe yesterday that nearly 28,000 tons of Turkmen fuel have been imported into Tajikistan over the first three months of this year, which is 26,800 tons more than in the same period last year.

According to him, the price difference for one ton of Russian and Turkmen gasoline is now only US$7.00.  Current price for one ton of Turkmen gasoline is US$943.00, while the price for one ton of Russian gasoline is now US$936.

Begmatov stressed that 35,100 tons of oil products were delivered to the country last month and Russia accounted for 92.8 percent (32,500 tons) of the overall volume of oil products delivered to Tajikistan in May.  Turkmenistan accounted for 6 percent (2,000 tons).

“215,000 tons of oil products, with 55 percent of them being gasoline (117,500 tons for US$103.8 million), have been delivered to Tajikistan in January-May this year,” Begmatov said, noting that compared to January-May 2010 gasoline imports have decreased by 12,000 tons while the price for one ton of Russian gasoline has increased by US$308.

Diesel fuel imports have reportedly also decreased over the report period.   “57,700 tons of diesel fuel have been delivered to the country over the first five months of this year, which is 4,400 tons fewer than in January-May 2010,” the MEDT specialist said, adding that an average price for one ton of diesel fuel has risen nearly US$400.00 in a year to May 31, 2011, reaching US$950.00.