On November 22, the Turkmen press published amendments and additions to the Code on Social Protection of the Population.
The changes allow citizens of Turkmenistan who are stuck abroad for various reasons and circumstances beyond their control (natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics and other emergencies) to receive pensions without the need to personally apply to the offices of the pension fund. This rule applies to situations after March 1, 2020.
At the moment, the outdated text of the Code has been published on the official website of the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan . For convenience, we publish modified articles with changes already made, they are highlighted in red.
Article 40. Granting a pension
- Old-age pension, seniority pension, professional pension, funded pension are assigned from the day citizens apply to the local authority of the Pension Fund of Turkmenistan with a written application for the appointment of a pension, but not earlier than the emergence of the right to it , except for the cases specified in paragraph two of this part .
In the event that citizens apply with a written application for the appointment of the appropriate pension specified in the first paragraph of this part, after the emergence of the right to it, due to the occurrence of circumstances (natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic and other emergency circumstances) beyond their control, they are assigned the corresponding pension from the day the right to it arises.
(The norm applies to relationships that arose after March 1, 2020)
In March 2020, Turkmenistan suspended all international flights in connection with the global coronavirus pandemic. From that moment on, a huge number of Turkmen citizens found themselves abroad without any financial support. Turkmen Airlines has organized several export flights from different countries, but they are not enough to evacuate everyone.
Thus, it took Turkmenistan more than a year and a half to introduce these amendments to the Code.
In addition, major changes have been made to the Code concerning large families. In particular, the size of lump sum payments for the birth of five or more children has been increased .
Article 75. Calculation of the amount and appointment of state benefits upon the birth of a child
The size of the state allowance for the birth of a child is established as a percentage of the base value established for calculating state benefits, and is:
1) at the birth of the first and second child – 130 percent (507 manats or $ 145 at the state rate / $ 21 at the current rate of the “black market”) ;
2) at the birth of a third child – 250 percent (975 manat or $ 279 / $ 40) ;
3) at the birth of the fourth child and subsequent children – 500 percent.
3) at the birth of the fourth child – 500 percent (1950 manat or $ 557 / $ 81) ;
4) at the birth of the fifth child – 600 percent (2340 manats or $ 669 / $ 97.5) ;
5) at the birth of the sixth child – 800 percent (3120 manat or $ 891 / $ 130) ;
6) at the birth of the seventh child – 1000 percent (3900 manats or $ 1114 / $ 162.5) ;
7) at the birth of the eighth child and subsequent children – 1200 percent (4680 manats or $ 1337 / $ 195) .
The basic amount of benefits in 2022 was set at 390 manats ($ 111 / $ 16).
Also, monthly allowances for each child were increased from 65 to 75% of the base value . Thus, in 2022, 292.5 manats ($ 83.6 / $ 12.2) will be paid for each child.
Article 76. Calculation of the amount and appointment of the state childcare allowance
The size of state allowances for child care is established for each child up to three years at a rate of 65 75 per cent of the basic amount fixed for the calculation of state benefits.
The state childcare allowance is assigned from the date of birth of the child, regardless of the date of submission of the application for its appointment.
According to other innovations that stimulate a high birth rate, the retirement age of women who have given birth and raised eight or more children has been reduced from 54 to 52 years, and the required length of service – from 15 to 10 years.
Article 23. Right to old-age pension
The following persons are entitled to an old-age pension:
4) women who have given birth and raised 5 or more children under the age of eight or a child with a disability from childhood – upon reaching the age of 54, with participation in compulsory pension insurance for at least 15 years;
4) women who have given birth to five, six, seven children or have a child with a disability since childhood (regardless of the time of recognition of a child with a disability) and raised them up to the age of eight – upon reaching the age of 54, with participation in compulsory pension insurance of at least 15 years;
4 1 ) women who have given birth and raised eight or more children under the age of eight – upon reaching the age of 52, with participation in compulsory pension insurance for at least 10 years;
Article 41. Minimum and maximum pension
- The minimum amount of pensions assigned in accordance with this Code, with the exception of a disability pension and a survivor’s pension, shall be established in the amount of:
1) 100 percent of the base amount established for calculating the minimum pension – subject to participation in compulsory types of state pension insurance:
- a) men – at least 25 years old;
- b) women – at least 20 years old, except for the cases specified in subparagraphs “ç” and “d” in subparagraphs “ç”, “d” and “e” of this paragraph;
- h) women who have given birth and raised 4 children up to the age of eight – at least 18 years old;
d ) women who have given birth and raised 5 or more children under the age of eight, or a child with a disability since childhood – at least 15 years;
- d) women who have given birth to five, six, seven children or have a child with a disability since childhood (regardless of the time the child was recognized with a disability) and raised them before the age of eight – at least 15 years;
- e) women who have given birth and raised eight or more children up to the age of eight – at least 10 years;
The exchange of pensions for four or more children left orphans after the loss of a breadwinner has been increased.
Article 38. Calculation of the amount of the survivor’s pension
- The size of the survivor’s pension for orphans (children left without parental care) is calculated from the base value established for calculating the minimum pension, and is:
1) for one child – 145 percent (565.5 manats or $ 162 / $ 23.6) ;
2) for two children – 230 percent (897 manats or $ 256 / $ 37) ;
3) for three or more children – 285 percent.
3) for three children – 285 percent (1,111.5 manats or $ 318 / $ 46) ;
4) for four children – 335 percent (1306.5 manats or $ 373 / $ 54) ;
5) for five or more children – 380 percent (1,482 manats or $ 423 / $ 62) .
As noted by the publication “Meteozhurnal” , these amendments may indicate the stimulation of ultra-high birth rates by the authorities of Turkmenistan, which, in turn, may indicate the demographic problem of the country.
In the Soviet years, Turkmenistan was one of the leaders in population growth, but with the collapse of the USSR, the population growth rate, according to demographers, began to decline, primarily due to the deterioration of social conditions and a decline in living standards.
From 1979 to 1989, the number of people living in the republic increased from 2.76 million to 3.52 million. After gaining independence, Turkmenistan began to publish unrealistic statistics, according to which, despite massive migration, in 2003 the country’s population was allegedly 5.94 million, and in 2006 it had already reached 6.79 million.
After 2007, official data on the population in Turkmenistan ceased to be published.
The results of the 2012 census were never published in the official press. Sources of the “Chronicle of Turkmenistan” managed to convey to the editorial office its results , according to which 4.75 million people lived in the country in 2012.
According to the “Meteozhurnal”, in 2020 there were 4.95 million inhabitants in Turkmenistan.
In 2020, on the website dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality and developed by order of the country’s Foreign Ministry, information was published that the country’s population is “more than 6.2 million people.”
Now Turkmenistan is preparing to conduct a new population census in 2022.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan