Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that as the supply of some groceries to state-run stores in Turkmenistan has seen some improvement, the situation with food supply in the provinces is much worse.
This has led to the fact that residents of velayats are traveling to Ashgabat to do grocery shopping.
However, in the meantime the drivers with regional car plates who travel from the capital, are stopped by police officers for a vehicle inspection. If groceries purchased in state-run stores are identified in a vehicle, the law enforcement officials explain that it is prohibited and that a fine needs to be paid.
The law enforcement officials present no official resolutions or bans and following the tradition simple say: “bolonok!” (it is forbidden). This implies that no receipts are issued by the police officers after the fine has been paid.
One of those affected en route from Ashgabat to Mary bought two packages of vegetable oil “Akahl”. He was first stopped and fined at the entrance to the village of Yashlyk and then in Kaakh.
I had no cash to pay the second “fine” and I angrily threw away all the vegetable oil out of the trunk and left, a driver told “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”.
It remains unclear at the moment whether the newly-introduced ban is a verbal instruction issued by higher-ranking authorities or it is a new excuse for road inspection officers to extort bribes from drivers.