DUSHANBE, July 30, Asia-Plus — Issue related to increase of prices of basic food products in Dushanbe was one of major topics of a July 30 meeting of the Dushanbe mayor’s office presided over by its head Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev. 

Senior representatives from relevant ministries and organizations also attended the meeting. 

Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor, told Asia-Plus that Mayor Ubaidulloyev had expressed concern about rising prices of basic food products on Dushanbe’s markets and demanded at the meeting that the Dushanbe trade and markets directorate jointly with relevant sub-divisions of Tojikmatlubot (Tajik consumers’ union), and administrations of 34 markets, functioning in the capital city, should take adequate measures to ensure the proper provision of the city’s markets.  

Administrations of the Dushanbe markets are to deliver and stock up farm produce and basic food products for selling at relatively low prices, the spokesman said, adding that special shops  will be opened on all city’s markets for this purpose.  

“Besides, administrations of the Dushanbe markets were also tasked to organize subsidiary farms in territories of the nearby districts,” Shavkat Saidov said.  

The spokesman further added that beginning on August 31, special public commissions, comprising members of Dushanbe’s city and districts legislatures, will work in the city to study cost prices of the delivered products as well as seek ways to prevent monopoly of second-hand dealers on sale of farm produce on the Dushanbe markets.  

“The session recommended to set the following on the city markets: the price of one kilogram of beef should be 12 somonis; button should be paid at the rate of 13 somonis per one kilogram; and the price one kilogram of wheat flour should be 1.4 somonis (a 50-kilograms sack of the 1st wheat flour should cost 70 somonis),” the spokesman said, adding that the Dushanbe trade and markets departments and the Dushanbe branch of Tojikmatlubot (consumers’ union) were ordered to deliver up to 20 tons of meat to the capital city per day.  The National Bank of Tajikistan is recommended to provide preferential loans to these structures, according to the spokesman.