The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov chaired an enlarged meeting to discuss the issues of implementation of the large-scale programme aimed at improving the life quality, creating the worthy social and living conditions for the people. The high-ranking officials of the national ministries and departments, the velayat and etrap khyakims took part in the sitting.

Opening the sitting the Turkmen leader said that it was held to provide the effective solutions to the urgent problems and to ensure the fulfillment of the tasks of improving the living conditions of the people of Turkmenistan. Speaking about the specific measures the government took to fulfill the tasks Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov focused on the important documents called upon to fill the country’s life with new content: the National Programme of the President of Turkmenistan on improvement of the social and living conditions in villages, settlements, towns in etraps and etrap centres till 2020 and the decision to give the long-term loans for buying and constructing houses.

The President said that newly-constructed facilities would create thousands of new jobs. All those measures conformed to the main ideological principle of the new epoch – “the state for the people”, Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted.

Emphasizing that Turkmenistan’s social development policy had drawn a wide response worldwide the President informed that it had been supported by the United Nations Organization.

Then the President said that some people in our society had not realized the significance of the reforms implemented in the country. In this regard Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov made the critical remarks to the national mass media, which were unable to elucidate the significance of the changes taking place in Turkmenistan to the public. The high-ranking officials of some national ministries, sectoral departments, self-government bodies had not initiated any activity to implement the rural development programme since it had been adopted, the Turkmen leader said.

Minister of Economy and Finance H. Geldimuradov reported on the results of national development in January 2008. The Minister reported that the rates of output growth made up 120.1 percent, or in terms of money – 12.1 trillion manats. The rates of output growth in industry made up 124.5 percent, agriculture – 111.1 percent, construction industry – 117 percent and service industries – 115.2 percent.

Reporting on the final results of national development in 2007 H. Geldimuradov noted that the GDP growth rates made up 111.6 percent in comparable prices as compared to 2006. Electric power production increased by 9 percent, oil production – 3.9 percent, production of oil products – 5.8 percent, diesel fuel production – 14 percent, cement production – 5 percent, ginned cotton production – 13.9 percent. In 2007, the foreign trade turnover made up US$ 13.4 billion, or increased by 33.6 percent as compared to 2006. The volume of exports exceeded the volume of imports. The capital investments to the sum of 23 trillion manats were spent, or increased by 13.1 percent.

Focusing on the National Programme of the President of Turkmenistan on improvement of the social and living conditions in villages, settlements, towns in etraps and etrap centres till 2020 the Minister informed that the programme provided for spending the capital investments to the sum of 5.559,2 billion manats. The organizational measures had been taken to intensify the programme activities. The intersectoral commissions established by the special order of the President of Turkmenistan had held the meetings and organizational events aimed at performing the works scheduled for 2008.

Minister of Construction and Construction Materials Industry Sh. Durdiliev reported that the intersectoral working groups had been established by the special order of the President of Turkmenistan to inventory the facilities to be constructed in 2008 and to specify the scope of the works and services required

The Minister reported that in accordance with the National Programme 41 percent of the capital investment to be made in social development and improvement of engineering infrastructure in the settlements. The Programme provided for constructing 365,000 square metres of housing in rural areas in 2008. Housing construction would be carried out on the basis of mortgage lending

Minister of Energy and Industry G. Annaveliev reported that 11.184,7 billion manats were invested in construction of power transmission lines and power supply facilities and reconstruction of the exiting facilities. The programme provided for spending 1.035,4 billion manats for these purposes in 2008.

Chairman of the Turkmenavtoyollary State Concern A. Saribaev reported that 1,841 kilometers of motorways would be improved, reconstructed and constructed at the request of the velayat khyakimliks in 2008. The programme provided for improving the territories adjacent to the highways including planting the green zones, lighting, laying footways, constructing bus stops, etc.

Chairman of the Turkmengaz State Concern Ya. Kakaev reported that 12.806,2 kilometres of gas pipelines would be built in accordance with the National Programme and over 3 trillion manats would be spent for these purposes including construction of the relevant infrastructure. The programme on improvement of gas supply in rural areas provided for building 9.337,5 kilometres of gas pipelines within the first three years. Ya. Kakaev reported that pipes of different size had been purchased to the sum of 39.6 million manats, the first consignment of pipes had been delivered.

Minister of Communications R. Khojagurbnaov reported on the measures taken in accordance with eth programme to meet the increased domestic demand for high-quality communications and broadcasting services in 2008. The Minister reported that 299.9 billion manats had been allocated for these purposes in 2008, including 146.7 billion manats for development of the communications and broadcasting systems in the etraps and rural areas.

Focusing on implementation of the National Programme the Minister reported that 124 sets of modern communications facilities would be assembled in the etraps and villages throughout the country, the large-scale fiber-optics communication links such as the 142-km Farab-Turkmenabat-Atamyrat-Magdanly line and the 121-km Tejen-Serahs line would put into operation. 18 transmitting units for the Ovaz radio channel would be installed and 72 sets would be installed in the desert and mountainous regions.

Reporting on implementation of the National Programme the velayat khyakims specified the scope of the work to be performed in 2008 and the inventory of the facilities of the rural social and economic infrastructure to be constructed this year.

Reporting on the situation in the agricultural sector the velayat khyakims informed the Turkmen leader in details of the progress of the seasonal agricultural campaign. Mineral fertilizers were applied in the agricultural fields throughout the country. The severe frosts had aggravated the situation in Dashoguz Velayat. At present, agricultural workers in the region were engaged in procuring organic fertilizers. The measures to improve the soil conditions and to clean the irrigation network were taken. The velayat khyakims reported on the works done to keep cattle livestock safe this winter.

On behalf of Turkmen agricultural workers the velayat khyakims thanked the Turkmen leader for the decision to construct the grain elevators and flour milling plants in the regions. It was a powerful incentive for rural agricultural workers to ensure the solid basis for future harvests.

The Lebap Velayat Khyakim expressed special gratitude to the Turkmen leader for the measures to liquidate the ice blockages on the Amu Darya River, to consolidate the river banks and to mitigate the risk of flooding the littoral settlements, to ensure the proper operation of the water, power and gas supply systems in the settlements, to prevent the possible consequences of the natural disaster.

Commenting on the reports the Turkmen leader criticized the work of the high-ranking officials, who had failed to ensure the start of the programme. The Turkmen leader said that he had the impression that the local authorities had no clear idea of the construction projects to be launched in their regions. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said that last year none of the high-ranking officials had requested for construction of a school or hospital in the region.

Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the ministries, sectoral department, velayat khyakims were directly responsible for successful implementation of the programme.

The President demanded that the commissions established under supervision of the local authorities in each region should start the programme immediately. Setting the specific tasks to launch the construction projects in the regions the Turkmen leader said that foreign firms and companies could be involved in implementing the projects on the competitive basis on terms of employing local specialists.

Focusing on the necessity of expanding the capacities of construction industry the President set the specific tasks to the relevant high-ranking officials. In particular, the President instructed to accelerate the projects on construction of the cement works, development of the sandpits, reconstruction of the house-building factories and road building departments in the regions, purchase of machines and equipment. In this regard the President instructed Vice Premiers H. Saparliev and N. Shaguliev to study the opportunities of opening the specialized secondary schools to train highly qualified builders.

Emphasizing that the special agency should established to coordinate the large-scale work and to provide strict control of the programme activities the President substantiated the necessity of reorganizing the Ministry of Economy and Finance into the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Development.

The priority tasks set to the newly established ministry included management of the national social and economic development, elaboration of the short-term and long-term programmes on development of rural and urban areas. The special departments of the ministry would be responsible for establishing economic relations with the countries worldwide to manage and coordinate the work of the bilateral intergovernmental commissions.

The Turkmen leader said that the plans on strategic development of rural and urban areas were closely interrelated with the National Programme. The population in some settlements and villages had considerably increased, the status of those settlements had changed and thus they were disproportionately financed. In this regard the President said that the new, constructive approach to these problems should be elaborated. Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdieva reported on the measures aimed at legally securing the status of the town for some residential areas.

The President of Turkmenistan issued the relevant resolution.

With the view to create the relevant infrastructure in the towns and etraps the President instructed to elaborate the first stage of the development projects providing for construction of water supply and drainage systems, modernization of engineering infrastructure through applying alternative technologies as well within 2-3 years. The President said that special importance should be attached to equipment of schools including introduction of the interactive teaching methods.

The President issued the documents aimed at fostering the national social and economic development.