On 21 June 2017 after a long break, cigarettes appeared on the counters of state-run stores in Ashgabat but they are sold only during one hour early in the morning.
It should be mentioned that a restriction of 1 pack per person applies.
Sources at “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that a pack of cigarettes in privately-owned stores is sold at 50 manats whereas one cigarette costs 2.5 manats.
The vendors say that they buy bulk quantities in state-run stores.State-run stores sell about half of the supplied cigarettes which sell out within half an hour.
The remaining supplies are sold to private vendors.The official price for cigarettes is 25 manats but executives of state-run stores “add” a markup of 10-15 manats per pack.
Then shop assistants of private stores increase cigarette prices by another 10 to 15 manats to justify their expenses. Unlike state-run stores, privately-owned shops sell cigarettes in unlimited quantities.
Ashgabat resident note that a range of cigarettes in state-run stores has extended but the queues lining up for tobacco are huge. When cigarettes are sold, police officers keep vigil at the store to prevent any fights and to make sure that nobody can take photos of the queue.
Let us recall that since 2016 the country has been experiencing an acute shortage of tobacco products since the market is totally monopolized by the state and private entrepreneurs have been deprived of the opportunity to import cigarettes into the country.
According to official data, the Turkmen authorities keep a close watch to prevent tobacco smuggling.For instance, the state information agency TDH reports that on 27 June drugs and psychotropic substances as well as cigarettes were confiscated in the course of the special operations near the village of Bagabat located in the etrap Ak Bugdai of Akhal velayat.
At the same time, despite the ban cigarettes are openly sold in privately-owned shops.