Less than 100 euro a month for Ashgabat pensioners

The state media in Turkmenistan continue to spread news about social guarantees for all strata of the population, but the reality is much heavier. The regulation that was supposed to increase the allowance to 500 manat has remained unimplemented. Many are forced to ask their children for help, especially to buy medicine.

Ashgabat (AsiaNews) - In Turkmenistan, representatives of the elderly population, who have retired after dozens of years of hard work, complain about the paltry level of what they have been given, as documented in an investigation by Radio Azatlyk. As one elderly resident of Ashgabat recounts, after 35 years in the trade and with regular pension fund deductions, she now receives a monthly cheque of 372 manat, less than 100 euro (20 on the black market), with which she cannot live beyond two weeks.

Talking to various other people, one understands that this is not an isolated case, but a very widespread situation, which is becoming more and more dramatic in the face of the continuous rise in prices and the economic crisis from which Turkmenistan cannot recover in any way, with the unstoppable devaluation of the local currency. Other interviewees tell of living ‘on the verge of starvation’, buying the simplest and cheapest foodstuffs if possible, and continually asking their children for help, especially to buy necessary medicines.

The state media continue to spread news about social guarantees for all strata of the population by the government, allowing Turkmen citizens to ‘live a happy life’. The reality is much heavier, as pensioners tell us, ‘our children have their own families, and they are not much better off than we are’. The Ashgabat government has approved a regulation that ensures a minimum pension of 500 manat from 1 January 2024, but apart from former law enforcement personnel, the others continue to receive much less than this amount.

For the allocation of pensions, only the contributions paid are calculated, and those of policemen can lead to pensions of 800 to 1400 manats, while for the others, depreciation and deductions for various reasons are not taken into account, remaining well below the promised 500, which would still not be a sufficient solution. Classifications of occupations and years of work, together with age (62 for men, 57 for women) and various levels of disability, remain fixed at very outdated parameters, and the possibilities of customising the pension level with alternative criteria are rare.

Last year, measures for ‘customised pensions’ were indeed announced for those who have merited merit for Turkmenistan, but these privileges have remained exclusive to a few categories, from sportsmen to the military, and often instead of merit, corrupt systems apply.

Pensions are transferred to the recipients' bank accounts, who are also required to register every six months with the pension fund in their region of residence, creating further complications and delays. The Ministry of Labour and Social Defence refuses to respond to requests from citizens and journalists to clarify the many obscure and contradictory points of the entire system.

On 1 October, however, the Day of the Elderly was celebrated in Turkmenistan, and President Serdar Berdymuhamedov issued a congratulatory message to the country's most ‘venerable’ generations, emphasising their ‘fundamental role in ensuring peace and harmony in families, thanks to their wisdom, advice and support’.

Photo: Flickr / Martha de Jong-Lantink