The authorities of Turkmenistan are still unable to address the problem of cash turnover and ensure proper functioning of ATMs.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that queues of those who wish to withdraw cash are still forming in front of cash machines.The queues are smaller in the capital than in the provinces with no more than 20 to 25 people standing in line, which is not considered to be a long queue by today’s standards.
According to a bank employee in Ashgabat, a reduction in the number of ATMs in the city, cash withdrawal limits and ousting non-residents from queues have failed to improve the situation.
As regards the situation in the provinces, the news outlet Turkmen News reported that on 8 September, 2020 “Turkmenistan” bank introduced tickets for cash withdrawals from ATMs.
From now on those customers who wish to withdraw their salaries or retirement allowances need to join two queues – first, to get a ticket and then to stand in line in front of an ATM.
It has also become known that 12 ATMs owned by “Turkmenbashi” bank will be moved away from the city centre in an attempt to “hide” queues.
The ticketing system has been previously introduced in “Khalk bank” in Mary velayat. It should be mentioned that few customer tickets have been handed out and the waiting list is until late October.
In the meantime, deputy head of bank transactions department Annamukhammed Atamuradov made comment about the growth rate of digital banking services in his article in the newspaper “Neitralny Turkmenistan” as of 11 September.
According to the official:
The number of bank cards has reached 4,364,100, while the number of payment terminals has exceeded 37,500;
From January to August 2020 the ratio of non-cash payments in the сard payment system to the overall amount increased 2,32 times compared to the same period of 2019;
The number of subscribers who have access to the services of “Internet bank” and “Mobile” bank” has exceeded 570,5 thousand and 23,9 thousand respectively;
From January to August 2020 the volume of non-cash transactions made via ATMs, terminals, “Internet bank” system, “Mobile bank” and “Electronic trade” exceeded 4,89 billion manats, i.e. increased 2,85 times compared to a similar period of 2019.
Let us recall that according to the Central Bank of Turkmenistan, as of late July, 2020 the number of bank cards in circulation in the country amounted to 4,288,600.
Since the summer of 2019 Ashgabat residents have been experiencing serious problems with cash withdrawals. Up to several hundred people queued in front of ATMs.
In November 2019 the state-run retail outlets introduced the requirement of non-cash payments. This was done to reduce the volume of cash, which led to constant queues in front of ATMs. After that residents applied for bank cards en masse.
In the spring of 2020 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov repeatedly ordered imposing cash-free payments.
In July ATMs located outside bank buildings were dismantled “to address the problem of queues”. They are currently located only in the offices of companies and organizations.