A month ago the pro-governmental website Arzuw reported that “the manufacturing of Turkmenistan-designed computers was launched in Turkmenistan and over 100 thousand computers had already been produced”.
On 3 August the news outlet “Turkmenistan: golden age” reported that the business entity “Aýdyň gijeler” started assembling сhildren’s training computers with a colour display and the dimension of 28х20 cm.
However, only 50 thousand, compared to 100 thousand pieces, will be produced by the start of the academic year.
Moreover, judging by the posted photos, these are not real computers but toys which resemble the netbooks which have been presented to the first graders over the past two years.
It should be emphasized that the internal electronic parts are supplied from China, according to the news outlet. Turkmenistan only moulds plastic сases and assembles computers.
— Netbooks will be adapted for users with the interface available in three languages: Turkmen, Russian and English. The device will be equipped with applications for Sciences and Humanities and Music as well as computer games and a calculator. For children’s safety the electronic device will be operated on batteries, — “Turkmenistan: golden age” reports.
The tradition to present all first graders with netbooks in the run-up to 1 September on behalf of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov emerged in 2011. Up until 2016 Lenovo netbooks had been presented to children.
In September 2016 schoolchildren were presented with “training computers” assembled by the business entity Oguzabat, which turned out to be toys imitating a real computer.
In 2017 Turkmenistan purchased 142 819 training computer, which were also electronic toy laptops.
In March 2017 the country’s authorities stated that netbooks designed in Turkmenistan would be presented to the first graders.
To review the issues related to the manufacturing of netbooks entrepreneurs, officials of the Ministry of Industry, ТTurkmenistan’s State Institute of Transportation and Communications paid a working visit to China in the spring.