Turkmenistan Humanitarian Background

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:

Website of Emdat - Disaster Database

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

The climate is continental with scarce rainfalls throughout the year. Summers are dry and blistering (40°C) and winters are cold, sometimes freezing (-25°C). Springs and autumns are pleasant, with mild temperatures. The air is dry in the center of the country and wetter on the shores of the Caspian sea. The desert region of Karakoum is often subject to strong winds which case sandstorms.

For further informaiton on seasonal effects, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Humanitarian Background Additional Information

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

For information on the Emergency Management Center, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Humanitarian Background Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

For information on Turkmenistan Government contact details, please see the following link:

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

For information on Turkmenistan Humanitarian Agency contact details, please see the following link:

4.2 Turkmenistan Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Turkmenistan Regulatory Narrative

Turkmenistan’s government nominally has three independent branches. However, after winning an uncontested presidential election in 1992 President Saparmurad Niyazov effectively dominated governance in all branches and at all levels until his death in late 2006. Political opposition reportedly is nearly non-existent. Harsh, arbitrary punishment of administrative “mistakes” and unforeseen shifts in top government positions have discouraged competent individuals from seeking government appointments.

For further detailed information on the national regulatory branches in Turkmenistan, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan National Regulatory Departments Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

For information on Turkmenistan Regulatory Department contact details, please see the following link:

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Turkmenistan Customs Information

Technically, Turkmenistan does not levy tariffs except on imports by individuals. However, in practice, the excise tax system applies higher rates to imported goods than domestic, effectively putting an unspoken tariff in place. Additionally, certain domestic products are exempted from the value-added tax (VAT) and, by special presidential decree, government regulatory agencies have the power to go into certain markets and determine the prices of domestically produced goods and the prices for which importers pay for foreign products. Certain imports from countries outside the rural area are prohibited or require a license.

Turkmenistan is not a member of any free trade agreements and is not a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States customs union. It has signed trilateral agreements with Iran and Ukraine, Iran and Armenia, Iran and Bangladesh, and Iran and the Philippines and is pursuing more such agreements. Turkmenistan has most-favored nation status with the United States and Austria. Duties run from 10% to 100%, the average being 30%.

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below: 

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Emergency Response:

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to ‘crisis’ times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government.  When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response): 

[Note: This section should contain information on the usual duties & taxes exemption regime during non-emergency times, when there is no declared state of emergency and no streamlines process (e.g. regular importations/development/etc.).]

Import Tariffs - Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan does not apply tariffs per se on imported goods. However, in practice the Government of Turkmenistan levies customs duties and higher excise taxes on imports which are significant barriers to trade.

Turkmenistan’s value added tax (VAT) is 15 percent.

Samples/Temporary Entry--Turkmenistan customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into Turkmenistan of items such as carpets, jewelry, musical instruments, pieces of art, archaeological artifacts, antiques, protected animals, etc

Standards - Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan uses National Standards of Turkmenistan (TDS) and General Interstate Standards (GOST). Turkmenistan’s national standards are developed to meet international standards. GOST standards have been developed by 12 FSU countries and incorporate former Soviet Union standards. Standards and metrology are governed by the Law on Standardization and Metrology of 1993 and a series of by-laws.

The Main State Inspectorate “Turkmenstandartlary” is the regulating agency in the area of standards and metrology and publishes national standards updates.

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

For detailed information on import regulations, please see the following document:

Turkmenistan Customs Information Additional Information

The main port at Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea is being renovated. Main shipping lines cross the Caspian to Astrakhan in Russia and Baku in Azerbaijan. Smaller Caspian ports are Alaja, Chekelen, and Ekarem. Plans call for expansion of Ekarem into a second major Caspian port. In 2006 Turkmenistan had eight merchant marine vessels of more than 1,000 tons displacement, of which four were cargo ships, two were oil tankers, one was for refrigerated cargo, and one was a combination ore and oil ship.

Turkmenistan Aviation 

Key airport information may also be found at: Website of the Worldaerodata on Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has seven airports, of which four have permanent-surface runways between 1,200 and 2,500 meters in length. The main international airport in Ashgabat includes a new terminal complex constructed by companies from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Plans call for using Boeing aircraft alongside the current stock of Aeroflot aircraft belonging to Turkmenistan Air Lines. Current routes provide service to China, India, Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Slovakia, and Italy. The two other international facilities, located at Chärjew and Dashhowuz, serve mostly flights within Central Asia. Local airports also exist at Mary, Nebitdag, and other locales. The national administration of Turkmenistan Civil Aviation has been admitted as a member of the International Commercial Aviation Organization.

For further information on the Civil Aviation, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Aviation Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

4.3 Turkmenistan Airport Company Contact List

Turkmenistan Road Network

Road conditions in Turkmenistan make driving difficult and sometimes dangerous. Most roads outside of major cities are narrow, riddled with potholes, unlit at night, and without proper road signs. Frequent construction projects, dilapidated roads, unlighted highways, and camel crossings all present particularly unique challenges to drivers used to U.S. or European roadways. Driving at night on these roads should be avoided. City roads are better in comparison to rural routes but may be hazardous due to potholes, uncovered manholes, poor lighting, and heavy pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians frequently cross against traffic and create dangerous conditions. Traffic accidents involving serious injury to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are common. If you drive in Turkmenistan, you will need to drive defensively and use an abundance of caution. Drivers pay little attention to lanes and other road markings, with weaving and sudden lane changes a common occurrence (usually without use of a turn signal). Drivers will often encounter cars going the wrong way on one-way streets or divided highways. Cars also frequently make left-turns from the right lane and vice-versa. Pedestrians regularly walk or stand in the middle of busy streets during the day and night, often without paying attention to oncoming traffic.

Roadside assistance does not exist in Turkmenistan, where vast stretches of highway are often unmarked. Police checkpoints (where cars are required to stop and register) are a common feature on major routes between cities. The U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat has received reports that police stationed at checkpoints may arbitrarily fine motorists. Local law requires that traffic fines be paid within 12 hours. If a fine is not paid within that period, the amount may double every 12 hours up to 72 hours, after which time the vehicle in question may be seized. Driving while intoxicated is illegal in Turkmenistan and will result in the driver having their license revoked, a fine, and possible jail time. Driving while operating a cell phone is illegal and perpetrators will be fined. If you plan to drive in Turkmenistan, you must have a valid international driving permit. Foreigners who plan to reside in Turkmenistan must apply for a local driver's license with the Road Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Road Security

Main Roads in larger towns are usually in acceptable condition and main roads across the country are satisfactory by Central Asian standards though the Darvaza – Kunya Urgench road is in poor condition in places. Smaller roads are likely to be in poor condition , especially after bad weather. Away from towns the roads will generally be in a poor state of repair, and will be unlit. You should therefore avoid travelling after dark. There are other hazards to beware of such as unlit, overloaded vehicles in a poor state of repair and camel crossings on some rural roads. Driving standards will be variable and you should drive defensively and expect the unexpected from other road users and pedestrians

For further information on Road Contstruction / Maintenance and on Road Corridors, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Road Assessment Additional Information

Turkmenistan Railway Assessment

In 2005 Turkmenistan had 2,440 kilometers of rail line, most of which runs close to the northern and southern borders. The Tejen–Serakhs–Mashhad railway, built in 1996 by Turkmenistan and Iran, has become a vital link of Central Asian, Russian, and European rail systems with South Asia and the Persian Gulf. In February 2006, the final construction phase began on the Trans-Garagum Railway, a direct link between Ashgabat and Dashhowuz that will halve travel time between the southern and northern borders. Urban transportation systems are being upgraded in Ashgabat, Dashhowuz, and Mary.

In May 2013, a new rail link opened between Uzen (Kazakhstan) and Serhetyaka (Turkmenistan), crossing the border at Bolashak. The railway is 146km long and cost 65bn tenge. It is part of a larger project to link Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.

Railway links with adjacent countries

• Iran - yes, cargo only - 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 5⁄6 in)/1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) break-of-gauge
• Afghanistan - yes - very short to Towraghondi, no passenger service
• Kazakhstan - new rail link opened in 2013.
• Uzbekistan - yes, service halted indefinitely
• Caspian Sea - irregular ferry, passenger only

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Turkmenistan Waterways Assessment

The main inland waterways are the Amu Darya River, which runs along the northern border, and the Garagum Canal, which runs from east to west from the Amu Darya near the Afghanistan border through Mary and Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi on the Caspian coast. The 1,400-kilometer canal, designed mainly for irrigation, is navigable for 450 kilometers from its Caspian terminus. Because water is withdrawn for irrigation, the Amu Darya is navigable only about 250 kilometers downstream from the Afghanistan border to Turkmenabat.

1873 is considered as the official beginning of the organized navigation on Amudarya. In 1890 the military dam was based on Amudarya. In 1917 20 self-propelled and 50 non-self-propelled vessels as well as 1500 boats were operated on Amudarya.

In 1923, the Central Asian Shipping Company was established in Turkmenabad. The shipping company rendered services to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and 10 areas of Kazakhstan. The shipping company vessels transported economic cargo at the distance 1.5-2 thousand kilometers by waterway.

The Turkmen River Shipping Company was established on 15th August 1992 by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan and in 2003 it was reorganized in Production Association “Deryayollary”.

The main objectives of the Production Association “Deryayollary” are as follows: cargo and passenger transportation by river transport across Amudarya, maintenance of navigable ways, organization of work of landing stages and port points, cargo handling operations, shipbuilding and ship repair, civil-and-erection works, production of structures and materials, in particular, brick, extraction and sale of river sand as well as training of specialists for work on river transport.

The Production Association “Deryayollary” serves a navigable part of Amudarya of the length of 813 kilometers as well as Karakum canal of the length of 200 kilometers within the territory of Turkmenistan. The Association has universal and specialized vessels capable to transport various cargo and passengers. For transportation of national economic cargo as well as for carrying out passenger-and-freight automobile traffic through the Amudarya River the float pontoon crossings and barges are under operation.

The ship-repair - ship-building facility which has grown in the large enterprise from semihandicraft workshops has more than 100-year-old history. The facility is equipped with powerful slip economy, up-to-date equipment and required number of building berths.

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Turkmenistan Milling Assessment

Milling Company UNIONMATEX Industrieanlagen GmbH TURKMENISTAN BRANCH

Processing of Plant Raw Material

• mills for production of flour, grist and semolina
• bakeries and pastry production
• production for pasta, macaroni and pelmeni
• mills for vegetable oil production
• canned fruit and vegetable, fruit juice, ketchup
• breweries, restaurant breweries, production of champagne
• potato processing to French fries and chips

Processing of Animal Raw Material

• butcheries / meat processing to sausage, meat for trade, canned sausage and meat
• milk processing: dairies, cheese factories

capacity of 50 thousand tons of grain and a workshop for production of the same amount of flour per year.

For a short list of other mills, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Milling Companies

Turkmenistan Fuel

4.1 Turkmenistan Government Contact List

For a historical overview of the fuel sector in Turkmenistan, the organisational strucutre of Turkmenistan's Oil and Gas Industry and for further information on Fuel Authorities, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Fuel Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Fuel Pricing

In 2008, there was an immense price hike in Turkmenistan, bringing prices up to 2000% of the old price. At the same time the government intruduced a regulation, that every car owner gets the first 120 litres of Diesel or gasoline for free every month

For further information on Fuel Supply and Storage as well as on Fuel Demand, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Fuel Additional Information

Seasonal Variations

Fuel Transportation

How is internal transportation of fuel products carried out?

Fuel & Gasoline distributed with Tank Trucks , Gas distributed with a wide network of pipelines

Is the transportation infrastructure and fleet sufficient to handle current domestic needs as well as increased demand from the humanitarian community? Yes

 Standards, Quality and Testing

Turkmenistan Transporters

For information on Turkmenistan Transporter contact details, please see the following link:

4.4 Turkmenistan Transporter Contact List

Turkmenistan Additional Service Providers: Vehicle Rental, Taxi Companies, Freight Forwarding Agents, Handling Equipment, Power Generation and ISPs

For information on Turkmenistan Additional Service Providers contact details, please see the following link: 

4.5 Turkmenistan Additional Service Providers

Vehicle Rental

It currently appears impossible to rent a self drive car in Turkmenistan. you have to take a Government approved guide when travelling outside Ashgabat

Taxi Companies

For a list of taxi companies operating in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, please select the contact list above.

Freight Forwarding Agents

For a list of freight forwarding agents operating in Turkmenistan, please select the contact list above.

Handling Equipment 

For a list of freight forwarding agents operating in Turkmenistan, please select the contact list above.

Electricity and Power 

Installed power generation capacity : 4,104MW. About 40% is constituted of gas-turbine generators. Apart from the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan has the largest proven gas reserves of any of the former Soviet republics – believed to be the fourth largest in the world at 22.9 trillion m3. Many gas fields have been discovered in the west near the Caspian Sea but the most significant resources are located in the Amu-Daria Basin in the east. The natural gas deposits have so far proven too risky for international oil and gas companies to exploit.
Virtually all electricity and heat are generated from natural gas because of the country’s significant reserves. The Power Sector Development Strategy stipulates that electric power production will be increased up to 35.5 billion kWh by 2030, supported by the construction of three gas-fired plants with a combined capacity of 1.12GW. Large sections of the population do not pay for electricity because of state subsidies. These subsidies tend to render market conditions for renewable energy (RE) projects unfavourable.

Electricity Generation

 The electrical grid system is inefficient, poorly maintained and requires upgrade. In February 2010, Schneider Electric of France and ENEX of Belgium were contracted to upgrade the electricity networks in the capital, Ashgabat. The modernization of the system will be conducted in three phases and is expected to be completed in 2017. For further information on Hydro, Wind, Solar, BIomass and Geothermal Energy generation as well as on Energy Distribution and Supply Electricity, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Additional Service Providers Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Turkmenistan gained access to the Internet in 1997 through a contract with MCI Communications (later became MCI WorldCom). A small number of independent Internet Service Providers were forced out of business in 2001 when TurkmenTelecom was granted a monopoly over data services. Dependence on expensive satellite channels limited the availability of Internet to only two thousand subscribers. To upgrade the Internet backbone, Ministry of Communication signed a contract with TATA Communications for routing traffic through Transit-Asia-Europe fiber optic channel. As a result of this development, TurkmenTelecom started offering an access to the higher speed Internet with ADSL to the consumers in Ashgabat. In 2008, MTS started offering Internet service to mobile subscribers via GPRS. Altyn Asyr was first to launch 3G and 2 mpbs mobile internet service in March 2010. Move surprised mobile customers as the provider was known for inferior but cheaper service. Country code (Top level domain): TM

Turkmenistan Manual Labor Costs

The labor force comprised 1,923,000 people, of whom 1,571,000 (almost 46 percent of the population) were employed in the national economy. Over half of this number worked in state enterprises--a number that is expected to decline in general and to vary radically from sector to sector during the transitional phases of privatization.

37 percent of the workforce was in agricultural and 15 percent in industrial employment; however, one-fourth of industrial employment was in industries related to agriculture. Between 1970 and 1990, the percentage of the workforce employed in industry decreased slightly from 23.4 to 20.0 percent. The share of the agricultural sector within the workforce rose slightly in this period from 38.4 to 41.1 percent. In transportation and communications, the percentages were 7.0 and 6.3, respectively, while in the sectors of health, education, social services, arts and sciences, they rose from 16.5 to 18.6 percent. The state apparatus maintained a share ranging from 2.9 percent of the labor force in 1970 to 2.5 in 1989.

In 1989, some 62.5 percent of all workers were employed at state enterprises, 22.3 percent on collective farms, 1.1 percent in cooperatives (up from 0 in 1986), 0.1 percent in individual labor (a constant percentage since 1970), and 14.1 percent in private plots (up from 8.5 percent in 1970, largely at the expense of the collective farm percentage).

Figures from 1989 for the distribution of the populace according to source of sustenance show that of the entire population of Turkmenistan, 40.6 percent worked in the national economy, 1.9 percent held stipends, 10.9 percent were pensioners and others receiving state welfare, 46.5 percent were dependents and those employed only on individual supplemental endeavors, and 0.1 percent had other unspecified means of subsistence.

The national minimum wage is a critical component of the macro-level "price-wage feedback" in inflationary processes; this wage is established by presidential decree. The basic wage structure is set by a cross-classification of occupations and physical exertion levels, which determines relative minimum wages for various sectors. After a negotiating process, minimum wages can be set above the national minimum in profitable sectors. Wages in agriculture and industry were similar until 1991, when agricultural wages declined relative to average wage.

Plans call for the Ministry of Labor to be replaced by a State Corporation for Specialist Training, with the bulk of the ministry's nontraining functions to shift to the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Banking. Those functions include oversight of unemployment, salary administration and minimum wage determination, and labor protection. There is no independent labor union movement in Turkmenistan. Trade union leaders are appointed by the president, meaning that no true collective bargaining can occur.

Turkmenistan Telecommunications

The telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization.

Domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high-speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems, the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012.

International: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2012)

For additional telecommunications information, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Telecommunications Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Telecommunication Regulation

International Calls : linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other Commonwealth of Independent States republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscowinternational gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Turkmenistan Food Suppliers, Accommodation and Other Markets

In 2011 the president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, raised wages, pensions and other social allowances by 10%. At the start of 2012 he authorised a similar increase in salaries and social spending as part of official plans to reduce poverty and improve living standards. As basic foodstuffs and utilities are heavily subsidised in Turkmenistan, consumers will have been less affected by the global increases in fuel and food costs in 2011, which eroded private consumption more forcefully in other countries in the region.

4.5 Turkmenistan Additional Service Providers 

Main Food Suppliers

For information on supermarkets and local markets, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Food Suppliers Additional Information

Accommodation

For a list of accommodation providers in Turkmenistan, please select the contact list highlighted above.

Turkmenistan Government Contact List

Turkmenistan Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Turkmenistan Airport Company Contact List

Turkmenistan Transporter Contact List

Turkmenistan Additional Service Provision Contact List