In mid October cheap cigarette brands, such as American House and House of Seba, appeared on the counters of Ashgabat stores. Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that they are sold at 3 manat apices or at 60 manats per pack.
This resulted in a price decrease for other brands. The cigarettes which were previously sold at 1- to 12 manats apiece now cost 5 manats.
The quality of cigarettes available for sale is comparable with their price. Damp and stained cigarettes might have been supplied to shops after improper storage.
Sources at “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that cigarettes had been stored at warehouses since 2015 and had to be disposed of.
Apart from cigarettes, home-made cigarettes are also sold at 1 manat apiece.
Irregular cigarette supply in Turkmenistan was recorded after the state monopoly on tobacco sale had been imposed in 2016.
It is illegal to sell cigarettes in privately-owned shops but despite this, they can be purchased in any retail outlet at a price, which is several times as high as the government-established price.
Cigarettes are seldom supplied to state-run shops and long queues form in front of retail outlets where fights often break out.The post Cheap cigarettes to be disposed of sold in Ashgabat first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.