On 7 September President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov said that considerable reforms have been carried out in the retail sector, where entrepreneurial activity was enhanced and became more market-oriented with the dominance of the private sector.
The state information agency TDH reports that a new high quality system of business relations, which needs to be improved and further developed, was established between manufacturers and consumers.
In this connection the head of the state demanded that food abundance be rigidly controlled and the residents be provided with high quality produce which is in demand.
Let us recall that in the past few years Berdymukhammedov has repeatedly called for accelerating the transition from state-controlled to market economy.
Many industries of Turkmenistan’s economy, however, are regulated by state plans.
For instance, the construction of plants and manufacturing facilities are funded by the state and their executives are also appointed by the government and approved by the President. In the agro-industrial sector the government decides which crops should be grown by farmers as well as their volume and prevents farmers from selling harvested crops by buying them up at low prices.
Despite repeated appeals by the President to ensure the food abundance, stores experience a deficit of food products on a regular basis.
Entrepreneurs, however, complain about the problems related to foreign currency conversion and strict restrictions imposed on currency exchange at the official rate to be able to purchase products or components and equipment overseas.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan