President of Turkmenistan outlined the country’s economic prospects for the year 2016 at the meeting of the Council of Elders

14 September 2015

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov outlined the economic prospects of the country at a meeting of the Council of Elders.

Over the years, Turkmenistan is rapidly growing its gross domestic product, said the leader of the nation. Only during the past period of this year, GDP growth reached 8.3 percent. The volume of capital investments increased by 8.2 percent, and the average salary - by 10 percent.

As the head of state pointed out, large industrial facilities are being built, construction of building a base gas pipeline – the pipeline “East-West” is being built at rapid pace, as well as of a major seaport on the Caspian coast. A program of industrial development for the period up to 2030 was adopted and measures to diversify gas exports will be implemented.

The leader of the nation called the construction of mining and processing complex for the production of potash fertilizers in the Garlyk potash deposit in the Lebap velayat as an example of the further development of the chemical industry. There are a number of companies that will build the capacity of the industry. In the town of Mary there was built and commissioned a plant for the production of ammonia and urea.

Great opportunities for the development of the chemical industry are also present in the Garabogaz, stated the President of Turkmenistan. Currently, in Kiyanly an accelerated construction of a large chemical complex is taking place. In this complex 386,000 tons of polyethylene and 81,000 tons of polypropylene will be annually produced. One of these major companies is a large industrial complex in Ovadandepe for the production of high-quality gasoline by means of processing natural gas that is under construction. In addition, there will be built several businesses in the field of natural gas processing.

It is also planned to establish a national electronic industry. The Head of State expressed confidence that the country has all opportunities for the creation of small enterprises on the production of devices for conversion of solar energy into electrical energy, electronics, photovoltaic and lighting equipment, as well as LED-lamps.

An extensive work on the development of the country is being carried out. Clear evidence of this is the ongoing work on completion of construction and commissioning in the following year 2016 of 428 large projects worth more than 9 billion 700 million US dollars, said the head of state.

Among these large objects the Turkmen President named the complex of the international airport in Ashgabat, the international airport in Turkmenabat, rail and road bridge across the Amu Darya, the international railway "Atamyrat-Andkhoy" and the Olympic complex that has no analogues in Central Asia, hotels in "Avaza", 4 major medical centers in Ashgabat, gas turbine power plants, 5 major villages, 5 villages, 19 schools and numerous other objects.

The following year, in accordance with the scale of the investment program it is scheduled to begin construction of more than 220 projects worth about 18 billion US dollars.

Among these objects the head of state named the pipeline "Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India", intended for export to foreign countries of 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas, gas-chemical complex to produce 467,000 tons of polyethylene and polypropylene, a plant for the production of 600 thousand tons of gasoline by processing natural gas, airports in the city of Atamyrat in the Lebap valayat and the city of Garabogaz in the Balkan valayat, a plant for the production of 1 million tons of cement per Koytendag district of Lebap velayat.

Also there will be built 5 hospitals, 25 houses and health centers, 13 kindergartens, 21 secondary schools, housing with a total area of 739,500 square meters. In addition, it is planned to build 21 small enterprises for the production of various electronic products, 11 cattle-breeding complexes for the production of 2450 tons of meat and 100 tons of milk a year.

In accordance with the State Program for the production of import-substituting production there will be built 77 facilities and enterprises.

And in accordance with the State program to increase the volume of exports of products manufactured in our country, there will be built 15 facilities and enterprises, as well as numerous other objects, said the leader of the nation.

As the head of state pointed out, in the context of the new edition of the "National Program of the President of Turkmenistan on improvement of social and living conditions in villages, settlements, towns and district centers for the period up to 2020", it is being envisaged to develop capital investments in the countryside in excess of 7 billion 500 million dollars USA. Thus, the housing will be built with a total area of about 3 million square meters, 44 hospitals, 72 homes and health centers, 193 kindergartens, 265 secondary schools, 32 new houses of culture, and many other modern facilities.