OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2008. The exhibition of goods manufactured by private commodity producers closed at the Exhibition Centre in Ashkhabad. The specialised exposition of the achievements of small-scale business bringing together over 200 private firms, enterprises and commodity producers was held on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Turkmenistan for the first time. The issues of development of entrepreneurial activity as an important element of market economy were put on the agenda of the enlarged sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers. Upon concluding the sitting the President of Turkmenistan issued the documents aimed at encouraging and supporting the non-governmental sector of national economy.

Addressing the sitting the Turkmen leader said that entrepreneurship stood as an engine of reforms, a factor of sustainable development ensuring employment, the growth of real income of population as well as the growth of the so-called middle class that testified to the welfare of a country. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that the exposition would be a powerful incentive to intensify entrepreneurial activity to be directly linked to the conceptual approaches to the reforms of national economy in whole.

The people and guests of the Turkmen capital received the comprehensive information on the achievements, potential and prospective action plans on growth and development of entrepreneurial activity in Turkmenistan. The two-day exhibition occupying about 2,000 square metres covered a broad range of goods and services offered by Turkmen private entrepreneurs to the people of Turkmenistan in various sectors. These included construction, construction materials, food, textile, clothing industries, furniture production, education, tourism, sport and physical culture, advertising, printing industry and communications. The entrepreneurs specialised in the traditional national handicrafts - carpet weaving, jeweller’s art, weaving presented their wonderful sample products at the exhibition.

On the ground floor the visitors could see the large-scale model of Ashgabat designed by the Ashgabat Khyakimlik. The private construction firms involved more actively in implementing the urban area development plan arranged their pavilions nearby. For example, the Bally private enterprises offered to build a comfortable two-storeyed cottage equipped with a solar battery within 15 weeks.

On the first floor the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations presented the draft designs of the Altyn Asyr marketplace, which would be built in the east of the Turkmen capital. Several thousands of private entrepreneurs - commodity producers and service suppliers would have the sales outlets in the large shopping complex (to be put into operation in October 2010).

The expositions presented by the enterprises of the non-governmental sector specialised in processing agricultural production and manufacturing food products were of particular interest to the visitors. Everyone could taste a variety of bakery products, confectionary, meat and dairy products, beverages at the exhibition.

The expositions of the private sewing workshops, which presented various articles of clothing, in particular children clothes, were popular among numerous visitors. Everyone willing could buy knitted and cotton goods at the exhibition.

The organizer - the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan presented the diplomas to the participants of the exhibition.