President of Turkmenistan dismisses energy and agriculture ministers, heads of Turkmenkhimia and two regions for poor job performance

ASHGABAT. July 17 (Interfax) - Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has dismissed Energy Minister Khadzhimuhammet Rejepmyradov for poor job performance, and Annageldy Saparov, Deputy Energy Minister, has been appointed as the new minister.

The appropriate decrees were published in the Neutral Turkmenistan government newspaper.

The head of state made the decisions during an expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers last Friday, at which the results of the country's socio-economic development for the first six months of 2023 were presented.

Berdimuhamedov attended a presentation by Rejepmyradov, who said that in the first half of the year the Energy Ministry had fulfilled the established plan by 112.8%. The growth rate of electricity production for the period reached 106.7%, while export totaled 107.7%

Rejepmyradov had headed the ministry since August 20, 2021.

Berdimuhamedov also dismissed Allanur Altiyev, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, for serious issues with his job performance. Another new presidential decree splits the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection into two ministries: Agriculture, to be headed by Nazarmyrat Nazarmyradov, former head of the Dashoguz velayat, appointed minister, and Environmental Protection, to be headed by Charygeldi Babaniyazov, chairman of the Mejlis committee on environmental protection, nature management and the agro-industrial complex.

In addition, the President dismissed Nyyazly Nyyazlyev, head of the Turkmenkhimiya state company for work performance issues. Dovrangeldy Sapbaev, previously the director of the Akhal plant for production of synthetic gasoline from natural gas, is appointed the new chairman of the company. According to the newspaper, he was instructed to intensify efforts to bring chemical industry enterprises to full capacity.

"It is necessary to create new types of industrial production that meet the requirements of the time, and which are based on advanced achievements in the field of science and modern technologies," the head of state said.

He also replaced the leaders of four of the country's five regions, including two "for serious shortcomings in the performance of their work." These are the head of the Mary velayat, Dovranberdi Annaberdiev, now replaced by Begenchmyrat Orazov, previously the head of the Mary district of the Mary velayat; and the head of the Ahal velayat Yazmukhammed Gurbanov, now replaced by Rovshen Khodzhagulyev, head of the Ak Bugday district of the Akhal velayat.

The president dismissed Nazarmyrat Nazarmyradov from the post of the head of the Dashoguz velayat due to his transfer to another job, and replaced him with Soltanmyrat Soltanmyradov, head of the Baherden district of the Akhal velayat. Jumanazar Annaev was relieved of his duties as acting head of the Balkan velayat, and replaced by Khodjamyrat Ashirmyradov, previously the deputy head of the Akhal velayat.