In the past month, the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported that pensioners were having to repay part of their pensions and that teachers were being paid with chickens instead of cash.

Sources have also told the Conway Bulletin there are queues of hundreds of cars outside petrol stations throughout the country and regular power and water cuts, even in the capital Tashkent.

These snatched insights are important because Uzbekistan is one of the world’s most closed states and has been presenting itself as a successful alternative to the free-market global economy.

The official line is that its closed policies have made Uzbekistan self-sufficient and sheltered it from the global economic crisis of 2008/9. State statistics show GDP growth at around 8% in 2011 and 8.5% in 2010.

Now though, the Uzbek government appears to be trying to lure foreign investors. On April 11 the AP news agency reported that the Uzbek authorities had promised potential investors tax breaks. Importantly it also promised not to interfere in investors’ work.

Either the Uzbek government finally wants to open up the country or it needs some cash.