On 1 September 2022 at the congress of the Youth Organization President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed a renewed edition of the Law on Youth Policy.
This legislative act provides young people with a number of benefits that are aimed at the comprehensive development of young people and the expansion of their participation in the socio-political and economic life of the country. The age of young people has been raised to 35 years inclusive, whereas previously this population group included citizens from 14 to 30 years old,
For young people who want to continue their studies at higher or secondary vocational educational institutions after graduation, the document grants the right to a one-time deferral from conscription to participate in entrance exams.
In addition, according to article 29, young people who have completed compulsory military service on conscription have a preferential right to admission to educational institutions upon successful completion of entrance tests.
Young specialists of Turkmenistan who started their career immediately after graduation from educational institutions will have their income tax reduced by 50% in the first year of work, and by 25% in the second and third years.
The law introduced the concepts of youth enterprise and youth entrepreneurship. Small and medium-sized enterprises, for instance, are considered examples of youth entrepreneurship if at least 75% of their workforce is under 35, or if under-35 investors account for more than 75% of the enterprise’s authorized capital.
In Turkmenistan, the participation of young people in the implementation of environmental projects, the reconstruction of historical monuments and the development of domestic tourism will be supported at the state level.
In order to implement the state policy on youth and provide guarantees for youth, social services for young people can be created in the country.
Their functions may include informing young people about their rights and opportunities, consulting for minors, other young people and their parents, providing psychological and legal assistance, medical rehabilitation of young people in need of health protection, social rehabilitation of young people released from prison or undergone treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction and dependence on psychotropic substances and their precursors, promotion of youth employment, support and development of collective and private youth entrepreneurship, support for the development of self-government among young people, etc.
The activities of such social services will be funded from the state budget.
The government guarantees support for young people in the field of education, science, culture and art, in difficult life situations, when starting a family, in the field of entrepreneurship, when creating youth associations, etc. ///nCa, 4 September 2022