DUSHANBE , April 11, Asia-Plus - Prices of basic food products are continuing to rise in Tajikistan . 

Over the past twenty days, the basic products’ prices have risen on average by almost 18 percent, according to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade. 

Odina Odinayev, head of the prices monitoring section within the combined forecasting and social development department of the Ministry of Economy and Trade, has told Asia-Plus that only the price of sugar has decreased from 2.8 Somonis to 2.4 Somonis over the same twenty-day period.   

“Prices of other basic food products, including the dairy ones, have increased by 10 percent and prices of vegetables and fruits have increased by 21 percent,” said Odinayev, “Mainly, the prices of carrots, cabbages and potatoes have increased – by 100%, 40% and 24 percent respectively.” 

Mr. Odinayev says this spike in food products prices is typical for this season of year.  

Local experts expect the high prices to remain in effect at least through the first half of May but before that the prices will rise by other 10%-15%.   

Besides the food products, the public transport fares have also risen. 

Prices of tickets for railway lines from Tajikistan to the Russian Federation have also risen on average by 0.7 percent.  “Now ticket for carriage with numbered reserved seats on the train Dushanbe-Moscow costs 520 Somonis (it had previously cost 516 Somonis) and ticket for the compartment on the same rail route costs 588 Somonis (it had previously cost 584 Somonis).”  According to local specialists, the rail tickets price hike is connected with labor migration.  

As far as air tickets are concerned, their prices have not changed over the past month.  

Gasoline prices have also not changed over the past twenty days.  At present the price of one liter of 95-octane gasoline in Dushanbe is 1.80 Somonis, the prices of one liter of 96-octane gasoline is 1.90 Somonis, the price of 80-octane gasoline is 1.65 Somonis and the price of one liter of diesel oil is 1.90 Somonis.