Photo by ok.ru/turkmenworld
May has been proclaimed anti-tobacco month in Turkmenistan.
For this reason cigarettes have again disappeared from state-owned stores.However, the range of cigarettes in privately-owned stores has increased and they are sold openly.According to sources at “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, various brands of cigarettes are available and, judging by markings on packs, are imported from different countries.
It is reported that cigarettes are imported from Iran, US, Russia, Germany and even Armenia (Garni).
Well-known brands such as LM, Winston, Parliament, Esse, Ken cost 50 to 60 manats (about $7-8 using the “black market” exchange rate) per pack or 3-4 manats ($0,4-0,5) per cigarette.
Cheaper cigarettes (Vision, West, GM, Liberty, HD, Garni), which are sold at 40 to 50 manats ($5-7) per pack or 2-2,50 manats ($0,3-0,35) per cigarette are popular among residents.
It is reported that due to the high prices for tobacco products many smokers share the cost of a pack and then split it, or two or three people smoke one cigarette. Almost everybody tries to hide a cigarette from strangers as many, upon seeing a smoking person, begin to ask for a puff.
Let us recall the irregular cigarette supply recorded in Turkmenistan in March 2016 when President Gurbanuly Berdymukhammedov gave the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan an exclusive right to import tobacco products pursuant to the relevant resolution.
Since then the sale of cigarettes has been officially allowed only in state-run stores.For over a year cigarettes have been disappearing from Turkmenistan’s stores or are sold again for a short period of time.
This causes queues and crowds in front of shops.