Since the start of the year food prices in Turkmenistan have increased by 18 to 50%.
The price for Russian vegetable oil increased from 7 to 8 or 9 manats and for sugar from 4,8 to 5,8 manats.According to the sources of Chronicles of Turkmenistan, irregular sugar supply is still being recorded.
Sugar can be purchased only in select stores with a restriction of two kilos per person being applied.Let us recall that Radio Azatlyk reported that the state plan for sugar beet yield was not fulfilled last year.
The price for imported flour from Russia and Kazakhstan has increased from 3,40 to 4 manats. Prices for various canned goods also grew. For example, the price for a can of black olives rose from 7 to 9 manats.
Prices for vegetables and fruits saw a considerable increase.At the beginning of the year potatoes cost 2 manats per kilo whereas now they are sold at 3,8 manats.
Prices for bananas increased from 8 to 12 manats whereas prices for Iranian apples rose from 10 to 15 manats.It is possible that these are seasonal price fluctuations.
Selected food products are also occasionally unavailable in Turkmenistan, for instance, chicken drumsticks or eggs.
Many types of cheeses have completely disappeared from the counters and the prices for those cheeses, which are still available, have considerably gone up. For instance, the price for the Russian cheese Gouda increased from 32 to 50 manats per kilo.
Amidst the price hike the value of the Turkmen national currency manat is being depreciated.On the black market the dollar exchange rate has been established at 7,2 to 7,5 manats per $1.
The official exchange rate remains at 3,5 manats per $1 and judging by recent statements by the President, the authorities will be trying to further maintain the exchange rate.
It should be noted that starting from February the holders of Turkmen credit cards who are staying overseas can withdraw a maximum of $200 a day.Until February this amount equaled $1000.
This led to the fact that the entrepreneurs purchasing merchandise abroad reduced the purchase volumes, which have affected a range of merchandise and prices for imported goods at Turkmen markets.