The Turkmen capital is now experiencing the problem of cash shortage. In the past couple of days many Ashgabat employees and retirees have complained that they have been unable to withdraw cash from ATMs.
Correspondents of Chronicles of Turkmenistan report that on 6 and 7 July there was only enough cash in ATMs for the first 20-30 customers in the queue despite the fact that over a hundred people congregated in front of each cash machine.
In Bereketly bazaar located in the residential district Parakhat-7 with two ATMs installed only one was working. However, it ran out of cash by 11 a.m. People had been waiting for about two hours hoping the money would arrive but the crowd dispersed after futile attempts.
An elderly woman, who managed to withdraw her retirement allowance, which amounts to 392 manats, reported that she had previously managed to withdraw the entire amount at a time but today she had to insert her bank card four times as the ATMs dispensed no more than 100 manats at a time.
� I was fortunate as I came early in the morning. The others failed to make withdrawals, � the female retiree said.
The residents with a monthly salary of 1000-1200 manats, who have previously managed to withdraw 800 manats at a time, are now capable of taking out 400 manats in the best case scenario. For this they have to insert their bank card three to four times and repeat the cash withdrawal transaction. At the same time, people standing in the queue express their discontent out of fear that ATMs might run out of cash.
We have failed to find out the true reasons behind the problem. Ashgabat residents are accusing the inhabitants of the provinces who come to Ashgabat to withdraw cash.
It should be highlighted that the residents of the provinces experience cash-related problems on a regular basis. Their salaries are transferred to their bank cards, but people prefer to make cash withdrawals rather than keep cash on their accounts since bazaars and small privately-owned stores do not accept bank cards to pay for the purchase.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan