Sokhibov’s Business. How Emomali Rahmon and his son-in-law turned car owners in Tajikistan into their “cash cows”

Many of you are probably curious about how the presidential clan makes money. Tajikistan is not as rich in natural resources as its neighboring countries, even compared to Kyrgyzstan, where a lot of gold is mined. Moreover, the country did not inherit anything grand from the Soviet Union, except for the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Station and the Aluminum Plant. Consequently, the president’s large family has taken over all profitable sectors where they could obtain a significant and steady income without unnecessary costs. To ensure guaranteed success, Rahmon’s relatives have completely monopolized entire sectors and industries of the economy with his help. One such sector is the area of permits for motor vehicles.

Driver’s Licenses

The presidential family’s earnings from motorists in Tajikistan begin even at the stage of obtaining driver’s licenses. For the tenth year now, Tajik citizens have been taking the practical part of the exam at a single private company, “Avto Santal.” It is owned by Emomali Rahmon’s son-in-law, Shamshullo Sohibov. To extract money from citizens three times during one exam, “Avto Santal” resorted to a trick by breaking the driving test into three stages. If the candidate does not fail any stage, they will be charged 660 somoni. But as you can understand, many do not manage to pass the exam on the first try. According to those who have gone through “Avto Santal,” on average, they spend about 1000 somoni on passing the practical part of the exam.

State Registration Number

Let’s move on. You decided to buy a car. In Tajikistan, when fully registering a vehicle to a new owner, the state registration number must be changed. This means you cannot keep the old license plates and save on this. The new ones will cost you 420 somoni. Half of this amount—210 somoni—will officially go to the account of the company “Faroz-Aiti” for stamping the license plates. This company also belongs to Shamshullo Sohibov and is the only company that stamps license plates.

Vehicle Technical Inspection

So, you have a license and a car, but that does not mean you can already drive on the roads. Your vehicle needs to pass a technical inspection; without it, the first traffic officer who stops you will fine you. In Tajikistan, the technical inspection can only be done at one diagnostic company—”Rushdi Rohnavard.” It also belongs to Shamshullo Sohibov. For the diagnosis and certification of the technical condition of the vehicle, “Rushdi Rohnavard” will charge you 250 somoni.

Forced Sale of Insurance

It seems we rushed a bit. The fact is that before passing the technical inspection, employees of “Rushdi Rohnavard” and the traffic inspector present there will force you to buy a compulsory insurance policy (OSAGO). Two years ago, Emomali Rahmon lobbied for the adoption of a new law requiring vehicle owners to insure their vehicles. It turned out that just a few months before the law “On Mandatory Insurance of Civil Liability of Vehicle Owners” was adopted, Shamshullo Sohibov opened his own insurance company, “Sugurtai Avvalini Milli.” So, at the diagnostic center, you will be forced to obtain an annual OSAGO policy from this company, which will cost you another 120 somoni.

Gas Equipment Diagnostics

Did you think it was over? No! Gasoline is very expensive in Tajikistan. And with a 95 percent probability, the car you bought has gas equipment installed. So, to use it, what do you need to do? Right! Pass a diagnostic check. This will again be done at “Rushdi Rohnavard” for 110 somoni.

Monopoly on Liquefied Gas Market

Did you think the car owner’s dependence on Emomali Rahmon’s son-in-law ended there? You are mistaken. The overwhelming majority of cars in Tajikistan run on liquefied gas. And who do you think is the monopolist in this market? The company “Faroz”! It also belongs to Shamshullo Sohibov. This presidential son-in-law, according to retail sellers of liquefied fuel, can raise or lower fuel prices at the snap of his fingers.

In the past, following several investigations, foreign journalists found that Shamshullo Sohibov, in addition to profits from the fuel imported by his company, also collects tribute from several smaller competitor companies in the market. According to various sources, the owner of “Faroz” receives $50 from other importers for every ton of fuel they import.

Conclusion

So, let’s summarize. It turns out that Shamshullo Sohibov earns 480 somoni annually from each car traveling in Tajikistan—approximately $43 at the current exchange rate. If we multiply this amount by the number of cars in the republic—over 500,000—we get a figure of $21.5 million. This means that the president’s relative receives almost $59,000 daily from this sector alone.

Additionally, from stamping and selling license plates only for imported cars, the resourceful son-in-law of Rahmon has earned about $1.5 million over the past three years.

Due to the lack of accurate statistical data, we could not estimate Shamshullo Sohibov’s approximate income from his company “Avto Santal.”