Like in every country in the world, there are rich people also in Turkmenistan. And like in every post-Soviet country, there are people who are obscenely rich, i.e. people whose fortune is incomparable to the living standards of ordinary people. However, unlike in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or Ukraine, you will see no Hammers cruising the Turkmen streets. There are no luxurious villas of the ruling and business elite. Or they probably are somewhere, but cannot be seen.

Why is it so? The answer can be found in a short article published recently on the Turkmenistan Chronicles website which tells a story of the dismissal of the chief of Taxation Service, Dovlet Khojaev.

On 8 February 2008 their chief Dovlet Kh. Khodjaev was relieved of his post «for grave shortcomings in his work», as is evident from the Presidential decree. The special services reported to the President that the head of the Taxation Service «lived beyond his income». He just took the liberty to celebrate his birthday in the restaurant inviting 30 persons - his friends and colleagues.

It is said not to have been the single case, which means that Berdymukhamedov decided to continue the policy of Turkmenbashi, who made public servants shiver with fear. In fear of suffering the fate of Khojaev, they drove to work in their old Zhiguli instead of Mercedeses and lived in apartment blocks constructed in 1950s, even though they could afford to build a house on the outskirts of Ashgabat. They also preferred to keep their savings in foreign banks and throw parties in Dubai, Istanbul or Moscow. It looks like nothing has changed in this respect.

They are probably pretty good wheeler-dealers with a very high level of adrenaline and… frustration, because hardly anyone will pity them in case of a slip-up. In other words, it is not easy to be rich in Turkmenistan.