AKIPRESS.COM - President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has slammed the policy of free gas, energy and water supply to citizens.

He called the subsidies introduced by his predecessor 24 years ago "inefficient," the reports say.

Under current regulations, every Turkmen citizen is entitled to 35 kilowatt hours of electricity and 50 cubic meters of natural gas each month. The state also provides 250 liters (66 gallons) of water per day.

The subsidies were introduced by former president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov in 1993.

Berdimuhamedov said assistance should be provided only to people in need, according to media reports.