Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that cheap cigarettes have appeared on the counters of state-run retail outlets in Turkmenistan, including stores in rural areas.
Cigarettes were sold from 6 to 8 a.m. on 6 and 7 February, 2021 in agricultural associations of Farap and Khalach etraps of Lebap etrap with a limit of 2 packs per customer aged 18 and older. The price per pack is 50 manats.
After 8 a.m. shops were closed because of the influx of customers. Several hundred customers lined up in queues. District police officers and head of the local councils feared that fights might break out in the queue and demanded that store managers sell cigarettes for a maximum of 2 hours per day.
Some time later cigarettes were available in private-owned stores of Farap but at the price of 80 manats per pack.
Because of availability of cheap cigarettes in Ashgabat, prices for them dropped down from 20 to 7 manats apiece in privately-owned stores.
It was previously reported that because of high prices for cigarettes residents of Turkmenistan are switching to home-made tobacco products.
They are made of boiled and shredded tobacco stalks, which are illegally grown by rural residents.A piece of cotton wool is used instead of a filter.These hand-rolled cigarettes are sold by vendors at the price of 4 manats apiece or 40 manats for a 10 cigarette pack.
The post Cheap cigarettes now available in Turkmenistan’s state-run stores first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.