ASHGABAT (TCA) — As the government of Turkmenistan tries to cope with a severe economic crisis and looks for ways to increase state-budget revenues, a vehicle tax for the use of motor roads was imposed in the country starting from October, independent foreign-based news website Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports.
Turkmenistan has experienced the crisis and chronic shortages of some staple food products due to decreasing foreign-currency revenues from the country’s main export item — natural gas, whose price has decreased along with oil prices in the international markets.
A monthly tax fee of 96 manats now applies to trucks and heavy vehicles and 16 manats are charged from passenger cars.
The vehicles are denied technical inspection without the fee payment. Those vehicles which failed to undergo the inspection in due time are barred from being operated, Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports.
At the same time, a decision was made for heavy vehicles to undergo technical inspection twice a year. A passenger vehicle is still obliged to be inspected once a year.
In August 2018 the fees charged for the annual inspection of passenger vehicles in Ashgabat increased more than tenfold.
Apart from imposing a vehicle tax, on 1 December the excise duties for alcoholic beverages and tobacco products were increased in Turkmenistan.
