Bukhara region registered 11.1% growth of regional gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2007, a session of Bukhara regional deputies’ council said.

The session said the region’s industrial output increased by 16.2%, while production of consumer goods grew by 12.2% in the reporting period. The retail trade in the region rose by 18.5% in January-March.

It was said that realization of localization programme and orientation of economy to export allowed to increase export of the region by 46% in January-March 2007. Current trade balance of the region comprised US$36.6 million.

The share of small and private businesses in regional GDP made up 40.3%, the session said.

The council’s session underlined that over 7.5 billion soums of budget and sponsorship funds were directed to reconstruction of rural medical points, strengthening material-technical base of cultural and sport establishment, information-resource centres, improve activity of markets, expand services, construction of roads and bridges, supply drinkable water to villages.