I spent a bit of time working in Tajikistan a while back, and I've never encountered such a vertically integrated country. It's like everyone sits on an organig

I spent a bit of time working in Tajikistan a while back, and I've never encountered such a vertically integrated country. It's like everyone sits on an organigram that goes right to the top. There will be a very limited number of importers and distributors, effectively one at the top end. So no real variety in available anything. No real competition. If the system is running RC then we drink RC. RC is also available where I live (also FSU). It's poor man's coke, Tajikistan is the poorest country in the FSU. The more expensive coke is not going to sell well in a country that at one point was the most remittance dependent in the world. TJK also has abysmally poor water infrastructure. Coke's normal strategy is to bottle water locally and add syrup. They may have balked at this in TJK. RC are either braver on this front, or being produced in a neighbouring country and being cheaper overall, more viable to import.