Azernews.Az

BAKU – Water supply and postal service fees as well as prices for train tickets have increased in Azerbaijan, the country’s pricing body said Monday.

According to the Tariff Council’s decision, the fee per cubic meter of water was set at 30 Gapiks (around 37 cents) for the residents of Azerbaijan’s biggest cities – Baku, Ganja and Sumgayit – as well Mingachevir, Shirvan and Khirdalan and the Absheron region, which includes the area sorrounding the capital Baku. The fee will be 25 Gapiks (31 cents) in other regions of the country.

Businesses will be paying 1 manat ($1.25) per cubic meter of water.

The fee for industrial use of water by producers remains unchanged.

Prior to the increase, the water supply fee was 18 Gapiks (22 cents) for users in Baku and the entire Absheron Peninsula as well as other big cities, and 14 Gapiks (17 cents) in the Azerbaijani regions.

Also, new fees were set on domestic and international postal services and parcel services. Postal services will cost between 20 Gapiks (25 cents) and 2 manats ($2.5) within the country, while the fee for sending a parcel abroad depends on its weight and the country of destination.

Under Azerbaijan Railways’ appeal, the Tariff Council also revisited fees on railway transport, setting prices for train tickets depending on the type of railway carriages. Depending on the itinerary, the tickets will cost 3 to 19 manats ($4 to $24), and 14 to 25 manats ($17 to $31) for speed trains.

Tickets for electric trains will cost 2 manats ($2.5) at the most and those for speedy electric trains up to 6 manats ($7.5).

The decision to raise the fees was passed while taking into account the low fees for passenger transport that had been in place from 1997.

The new prices, which will go into effect from February 1, will be below those charged in the neighboring and other CIS countries, the council said.