On 24 December, 2021 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov instructed that the New Year’s sale be organized in stores and up to 50% discounts be offered in stores and markets from 25 December to 1 January to ensure “residents can purchase gifts for their family and friends and have festive celebrations of the New Year’s Eve”.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that markets and shopping malls in Ashgabat are selling many groceries at big discounts.
Women are buying up fabric in “Altyn Asyr” market.A square of panne velvet, which was 700 manats, now costs 500.The price for Gul ýupek silk has dropped from 420 to 350 manats.
The longest queues have formed in front of counters selling affordable and popular rayon, the price for which has gone down from 120 to 90 manats.
Crockery is sold at an average discount of 30 to 40% in shopping malls “Berkarar”, “Bagtiyarlyk” and “Ashgabat”.
Shop assistants told a correspondent of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” that they are forced to offer discounts. Otherwise they might lose their stall and a license.
We have just re-opened after COVID-19 measures were weakened but we have now been obliged to sell merchandise at a loss, – a vendor at one of Ashgabat markets complains.
When asked if the government intends to cover the losses or provide tax breaks or other financial incentives, the shop assistant was puzzled.He replied that “no assistance had never been rendered to him or his fellow vendors and he would be pleased if the markets were not closed after the New Year’s holidays”, – he told the correspondent of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”.
Groceries are also sold at big discounts. For instance, candies which previously cost 70 to 110 manats are now 20-24 manats but a limit of one kilo per customer applies. Long queues are being formed in front of stores and market counters.
The situation at the butcher shops in market is unclear.Local meat, which was sold at 35 manats per kilo during inspections carried out by Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Berdymukhammedov and the price for which increased to 75 manats, now costs 50 manats.
However, meat can be purchased only if half of the weight is made up of by-products and bones.In addition, two kilos of Indian buffalo meat at 35 manats a kilo needs to be bought together with a kilo of local meat. “Cheap” meat is available only in some state-run stores and is quickly sold out.
In privately-owned stores a kilo of beef costs 60-65 mants, minced meat 65 to 75 manats, lamb – 63-65 manats and camel meat costs 55 manats.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that no price tags are attached and shop assistants need to be enquired about prices.Many butcher counters have closed or sell other groceries.
According to vendors, law enforcement officers make sure butchers do not increase prices and for this reason many of them are not working not to sell meat at a loss.
They also said that the vendors selling meat at increased prices had been taken to police stations but we have not been able to confirm these first hand reports.
As regards the delivery of ration packs at state-established prices, five ration packs were delivered to homes of Ashgabat residents in December, including three regular packs made up of eggs, chicken or chicken drumsticks, oil and sugar and two addition “gift” sets, consisting only of chicken and eggs.
As was previously reported there are no precise rules for the delivery of ration packs. In some districts all allocated ration packs were delivered whereas in others only residents received only one to two ration packs.
Those who have received the third ration pack noticed that prices for some groceries had gone up.The price for vegetable oil, which cost 18 manats per liter, has now increased to 32 manats whereas the price for sugar went up from 10 to 18 manats.
Thus, the total cost of a ration pack soared from 85-100 to 105-119 manats.
Meanwhile, employees of state-run shops, who deliver ration packs say that the third pack in December was the last. In the future all these groceries will allegedly be sold “at affordable prices” in state-run stores.
It should be pointed out, however, that the information provided by shop assistants is often inaccurate. For instance, in late November, they told customers that starting from next month the number of ration packs would be reduced to one to two packs a month. However, this information was not confirmed.
Bread is now sold in state-run stores with long queues being formed which residents join as early as 5 a.m. The sale starts at 6 a.m. and an hour later it is sold out.
The post The New Year’s trade in Ashgabat: enforced sales, a price increase for ration packs and queues for bread (video) first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.