Major steps announced for restructuring of government

In a video meeting on Tuesday (29 January 2019), President Berdymuhamedov connected with several deputy prime ministers and announced some major steps for the restructuring of the government. The stated purpose is to speed up the process of transition to market economy, raise the share of the private sector in the economy by mass privatization of state property and enterprises, and create a lean, muscular, and efficient system.
 
Here are the decisions announced during the video meeting and conveyed immediately through the digital document management system to the deputy prime ministers:
 

• A new ministry called ministry of agriculture and environmental protection has been established. This replaces the present ministry of agriculture and water management. The state committee for nature protection and land resources, which was a separate entity within the agricultural complex, has been merged with this ministry. The area of water management has been separated from the ministry and assigned to the newly created state committee for water management, which will supervise the management and distribution of water not just to the agricultural sector but also to the domestic consumers. The DPM for agriculture, Orazgeldiyev, the minister of agriculture and environmental protection, the minister of finance and economy, the chairman of the state committee for water management, and the chairman of the supreme chamber of control have been asked to oversee the implementation of this order. The necessary changes in the laws and regulations, arising from this restructuring will be proposed and submitted to the cabinet of ministers within three month.

 

• A new ministry called ministry of industry and communications has been established. A number of entities and organizations will be merged to create this ministry: ministry of industry (renamed Türkmensenagat), ministry of railway transport (renamed Türkmendemirýollary), ministry of automobile transport (renamed Türkmenawtoulaglary agency), ministry of communications (Türkmenaragatnaşyk agency), state sea and river transport service (renamed Türkmendenizderýaýollary agency), state service Türkmenhowaýollary (renamed Türkmenhowaollary agency) – Turkmenistan Airlines. DPM Chakiyev, the minister of industry and communications, the minister of finance and economy, and the chairman of the supreme chamber of control have been asked to ensure the implementation of this decree. The necessary changes and amendments to the laws and regulations arising from this structural adjustment will be proposed and sent to the cabinet of ministers within three months.

 

• The state concern Türkmenawtoýollary (Turkmen Motorways) has been transferred to the ministry of construction and architecture. --- The provincial and district governors and the mayor of Ashgabat, within the limits of their competence, will be responsible for the construction, reconstruction of the major and secondary roads, and their repair and maintenance. DPM Amangeldiyev, the minister of construction and architecture, the minister of finance and economy, and the chairman of the supreme chamber of control have been asked to ensure the implementation of this decree.

 

• The national committee on hydrometeorology, which was working under the cabinet of ministers of Turkmenistan, has been transferred to the ministry of agriculture and environmental protection. It has been renamed as Hydrometeorology Service of the ministry of agriculture and environmental protection.

 

• The research institute of agriculture, which was working under the ministry of agriculture, has been transferred to the Turkmen agricultural institute, and renamed as agricultural research and production centre of the Turkmen agricultural institute.

 

• The national space agency under the president of Turkmenistan has been transferred Türkmenaragatnaşyk Agency of the ministry of industry and communications of Turkmenistan. It has been renamed as space administration of Türkmenaragatnaşyk Agency. [the ministry of communications was downgraded under another decree the same day and merged with the ministry of industry and communications as Türkmenaragatnaşyk Agency. This has been mentioned earlier in this report.]

 

• The Türkmendeňizderýaýollary Agency (formerly Turkmenistan sea and river transport service and now merged with the ministry of industry and communications) and the Turkmenbashy International Port have been declared the co-founders of the open joint stock company Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Plant. Their status as an open joint stock company will allow for their privatization subsequently.

 

• The repair and construction enterprise of the State Telecommunication Company "Türkmentelekom" of the Agency "Türkmenaragatnaşyk" will be transformed into a closed joint stock company and renamed as "Türkmentehnogurluşyk".

 

• The ministry of textile industry, the Türkmenhimiýa Group and the Türkmensenagat Agency will be co-founders of the open joint stock company Türkmensenagat export-import.

 

• The institute of language and literature and the national manuscripts institute named after Maktumguly have been merged and renamed as institute of language, literature and manuscripts under the academy of sciences.

 

• The institute of history, and the institute of archeology and ethnology have been merged. The new institute is called the institute of history and archeology and it will work under the academy of sciences.

 

• The institute of animal husbandry and veterinary science, which was working under the academy of sciences, has been transferred to the Turkmen agricultural university.

 

• The institute of biology and medicinal plants under the academy of sciences has been split into two entities. One of them is named the institute of general and practical biology, which will work in the structure of the Oguzkhan university of engineering and technology. The other is named institute of medicinal plants and it will be in the jurisdiction of the ministry of healthcare and medical industry. 

 

• The institute of solar energy which was working under the academy of sciences has been transferred to the state energy institute.

 

• The institute for the study of commodity turnover of the national products has been attached with the ministry of trade and foreign economic relations.

 

• The regulations for the ministry of construction and architecture including its structure and central office have been approved.

 

• Starting from 2019, with gradual separation of research institutions from the academy of sciences over the period of three years, the state funding for the academy of sciences on account of such institutions will be terminated. This will lead to fundamental changes in the financing system of the academy of sciences. /// nCa, 30 Jan

kaynak: nCa haber bülteni