Turkmen President puts his son in charge of oil and gas as the country runs short of food

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 30 Nov 2021 by Alex Teddy

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The announcement was made on November 25 in the main government newspaper. Serdar Berdymukhamedov is already the deputy prime minister with responsibility for economic affairs. He is in the Turkmen Parliament. His latest appointment is yet another sign that Serdar is his father's heir. Serdar is dubbed the "Son of the People" by state media. He has already held many government posts.Turkmenistan has the 4th largest proven gas reserves in the world. With only 6 million people, that should make Turkmenistan rich. The country also exports oil. But 80% of the money goes to the president and his cronies according to Crude Accountability.President Berdymukhamedov runs an extremely tight ship. His security apparatus has been clamping down on dissent even more severely than usual. Turkmenistan is facing severe food shortages. The government provides subsidized food to the people. However, this food is often in short supply. People wait in line for hours to purchase basic commodities. The amount of food that a person can buy from the state store has been reduced. Food is available in private stores but for a price several times higher. Inflation is hurting the economy as are low energy prices and lower-than-usual remittances from Turkmen guest workers abroad. The government announced that relatives of Turkmens working abroad will no longer be allowed to shop at government stores. That is because these people receive remittances from their family members working in other countries. Stateless people will also be ineligible to buy at government food stores. Prison rations will be cut. The new rule takes effect in 2022. The policy has not been announced but was leaked from regional...