Tajikistan... is more than 15 days possible?

[danielsprague]

In 2007 I entered Tajikistan in my car and was aware of an old rule, not always implemented whereby any stay over 15 days in a temporarily imported vehicle was subject to a tax based on each extra day. Becasue of this I decided to stay for only 15 days. On entering and exiting, nothing was mentioned about this 15-day period.

Now I had assumed this old rule was long gone (and I heard it was only enforced at the Penjikent border with UZ), but just now I have heard from a biker from whom the authorities at the Tursonzade border gave only 15-days entry clearance, and tried to charge him $70 for each day over this limit.

I was planning to spend a few months in Tajikistan this summer by car (entering at the Isfana border from Batken in Kyrgyzstan), I even endured the scrum at the Tajik consulate in Moscow and bribed the consul $145 for a three-month double entry visa, and I hear this.

Has anyone entered Tajikistan with a vehicle lately? Anyone stayed longer than 15 days with a vehicle? Is this rule, legitimate or otherwise only enforced at the Tursonzade border?

I'm hoping to spend more than 15 days in the place this time!

Thanks

Daniel