Uzbekistan’s economy grows by 8.1% in Jan-Sep

Industrial output of Uzbekistan grew by 9.4%, agriculture production -6.8%, retail trade turnover – 14.7%, services – 12.4% and consumer goods production – 15.9%.

The state budget was executed with a 0.2% surplus to the GDP. The inflation rate did not exceed forecast parameter.

The fixed assets investments rose by 12.5% and foreign investments by 12.4% due to active investment policy on speeding up developing and modernizing of industry, road-transport and communication infrastructure, as well as improving investment climate.

Uzbekistan launched 2,200 new production objects and completed implementation of 60 investment projects. The production of localization goods rose by 39.7% and estimated import-replacement volume made up US$4 billion.

The Government’s session said that 21,200 new small and private businesses were created in Uzbekistan. The small businesses increased industrial output by 15.2% in January-September 2013. The share of the sector in Uzbekistan’s GDP reached 51.2%.

Uzbekistan directed about 5.6 trillion soums and US$250 million to improve life standards of population and strengthen material-technical base of social sphere objects, as well as realization of the state programme “The Year of Well-Being and Prosperity” in the reporting period.

The country created 833,400 new jobs in nine months of 2013, of which 488,000 or 58.6% fell to share of rural areas.

The exports of Uzbekistan rose by 13% due to measures on supporting and stimulating local exporters, improving quality of products, etc. Significant trade balance surplus was also recorded. Some 469 enterprises, which earlier did not export goods, began to ship their products to abroad in past period of 2013. Share of small businesses in exports rose from 13.5% in January-September 2012 to 19.1% in nine months of 2013.

The session said that Uzbekistan carries out active construction works, which rose by 19.2% year-on-year in the reporting period.

Uzbekistan collected 1.97 million tonnes of raw cotton as of 1 October 2013, and the farmers fully executed forecast of the state procurement of raw cotton on 21 October, the session said.