OREANDA-NEWS. On July 17, 2009 The Cabinet of Ministers considered the results of the country’s socioeconomic development and measures to overcome the consequences of the global economic crisis at its session, reported the Official website gov.uz.

The government said the timely anti-crisis measures had not only prevented growth of inflation, fall of production and decrease of the investment activities, but ensured stable and balanced development of the economy.

The growth of GDP in the first half of 2009 made up 8.2%, according to official data.

Industrial production increased by 9.1%, consumer goods production by 13.1%, agricultural production by 4.6%, services sector grew by 18.5% and construction works by 32.5%.

The state budget was implemented with a surplus of 0.3% to GDP, inflation levels did not exceed the forecast parameters, and the people’s real incomes increased by 25.9%.

The key factor of supporting the local producers in the conditions of fall of demand for exported products, the government said, was development of the internal demand for locally-made goods.

This is being reached through programs of development of industrial and social infrastructure, construction of residential buildings, expansion of the service sector and localization of production.

In January-June, works totaling UZS 141 billion were implemented at construction and reconstruction of the car roads of international and state level.

435 km of gas and 839 km of water pipelines were commissioned in the first half of the year, as well as 2.9 million square meters of individual housing.

233 general-education schools were commissioned, and 196 professional colleges and 18 academic lyceums will be opened by the start of the new academic year.

The state has undertaken a number of measures to support the exporters. The banks provided UZS 81 billion in credits to local exporters for replenishment of their working capital. VAT returns made up UZS 21 billion.

These and other measures ensured export growth of 13.4% and positive trade surplus of USD 1.6 billion.

Despite difficult weather conditions, the country’s farmers harvested more than 6.6 tons of grain. Fruit and vegetable production increased by 12.4%, cattle and poultry by 6.6% and eggs by 15.3%.

The volume of drawn capital investments increased in the six months by 32.7%, including foreign direct investments 2.6 times.

In the first half of the year, 667 industrial and infrastructure investment projects were implemented in the priority sectors, including new construction and modernization of production.

193 new industrial objects were commissioned in the six months, including 32 in light and textile industry, 67 in food industry and 78 in the construction materials sector.

534,600 new workplaces were created in the reporting period, including 328,000 in rural areas and 52,000 on a home-working basis.