On Monday, 9 October, the annual session of Turkmenistan’s Elders Council was held.
The session was held in the new concert hall Nowruz ýaýlasynyň ak öýi, which has been built in the form of a huge yurt and was opened a day prior to the opening of the Elders Council session.
The yurt is located in the desert area 20 kilometers from Ashgabat. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov arrived there by helicopter and in this connection on the night of 8 October residential districts of Ashgabat were patrolled by police squadrons which demanded that cars parked in the yards be removed.
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Addressing the session the head of state highlighted the commitment to the neutrality of the state and pointed out that Turkmenistan intends to foster and develop cooperation with the UN, EU, CIS, SCO, OSCE, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) and EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) were not mentioned by the President.
President Berdymukhammedov once again announced that measures aimed at diversification of the economy, import substitution and achievement of “good results” are being undertaken. “The volume of imported merchandise has declined whereas exports have increased”, the head of state said, without going into details or quoting any numbers.
Within the framework of the import substitution program a joint manufacturing facility to assemble electric cars is scheduled to be built in Turkmenistan.
The average GDP volume per capita Turkmenistan has reached the indicators of high income nations but no figures were quoted.
The President is convinced that the monument of the Akhal teke horse head overlooking the Olympic stadium as well as the Water Sports Centre which is listed in the Guinness World Records “speaks for the serious and responsible approach to the construction of sports facilities in our country”.
It was announced that based on the session outcomes Turkmenistan’s social and economic development program for 2018—2024 would be adopted within the agenda of the meeting.
In the next 7 years the GDP growth will be maintained at 6,2—8,2%. According to official data, in previous years the GDP growth was recorded at 10—14%.
The head of state announced the imposing of gas, electricity, water and salt charges, despite the decree issued by the first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov on the provision to the residents of Turkmenistan of free natural gas, electricity and salt up to 2030.
The President said that benefits for public utilities had been introduced when “the public treasury was empty.There were no available funds to pay salaries, purchase the required medications and support military and law enforcement agencies”.
As of today, according to the President, the residents of Turkmenistan are sufficiently provided with jobs and are wealthy enough to be able to pay their own public utilities bills.
“I think it will be right to be guided by the opinion of our respected elders who for a few years have been advising to impose fees for the consumption of natural resources and abolish the benefits”, — the President summed up.
The Elders proposed to award President Berdymukhammedov the title of Turkmenistan’s hero for the second time. The first time it was awarded to the head of state in 2011.
The president announced that the Elders Council would be converted into the People’s Council (the Khalk Maslakhaty) with the legal status and extended authority it had enjoyed before the head of state restructured this body for the first time.
In view of these changes the Mejlis of Turkmenistan reviewed the bill to make further amendments and introduce addenda pertaining to the People’s Council (the Khalk Maslakhaty). In 2008 the Constitution was revised after the People’s Council had been abolished and it was deprived of its representative authority.
The workers of culture put forward a proposal to change the date of the Independence Day celebration and move it a month earlier, from 27 October to “late September”.
The exact date and the reason behind the rescheduling are not specified.Out of significant events only the closing of the V Asian Games, which was held on 27 September 2017, comes to mind.