OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2010. The Exhibition and Business Forum of manufacturers and entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan are opened at the Exhibition Center of Turkmenistan.

The private producers and representatives of 125 private companies and firms take part in the forum organized with the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

The encouragement of entrepreneurial activity as an integral element of a market economy is a key priority of the social and economic development strategy elaborated and successfully implemented under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The issues of encouragement and support of the private sector of the national economy is the focus of attention in the Turkmen state that is vividly illustrated by the adoption of the Law of Turkmenistan “On the State Support of Small and Medium Scale Business” last summer creating the most favourable conditions for domestic business initiatives.

The large-scale exposition will provide numerous visitors during three days with an opportunity to learn about the measures taken in the country in the past years to foster and encourage entrepreneurial activity which plays a paramount role in saturating the domestic market with commodities and services.

The cabinet ministers, the high-ranking officials of the Mejlis, ministries and departments, the heads of the diplomatic missions diplomatic accredited in Ashgabat, the representatives of the public organisations of the Galkynysh National Movement and journalists attended the exhibition opening ceremony.

The welcoming statement of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to forum participants was presented at the opening ceremony. The Turkmen leader said that the large-scale changes aimed at increasing economic growth, further improving the wellbeing of people and achieving the quality of life of the developed countries for our citizens were taking place in our country today. The priority aspects of large-scale goal-oriented investments include further development and modernization of the economy, diversified infrastructure of processing industries, different forms of ownership. In conclusion the Turkmen leader wished the forum participants every success in their activities and expressed belief that the business forum in Ashgabat would be an effective factor in further encouraging the private sector in Turkmenistan.

This business forum is some kind of a business report for the past year which was marked with the rapid growth of Turkmen economy including its important component – the private sector. This was reflected in various fields ranging from the producers of consumer goods including Chapak, Rovshen, Murgab oasis to investment power and electrical engineering projects implemented by the private companies including Ussa-Inzhiner, Jahan Elektronic, Soltandesh and Turkmentehnika.

The last year was rich in the important events including putting the poultry complex with the complete cycle Gush Toplumy into operation, a debut of the domestic private companies as the general contractors for the projects on construction of apartment houses in Ashgabat and Abadan, launching the construction of the business centre of the Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and the Gul Zaman Fashion and Flower House in the Turkmen capital.

The pavilions of the food and processing industries represented by Peynirci, Hasar, Misger, Bereketli, Tejen yag zavody demonstrate the business growth rates and the impressive achievements of the private sector in producing a wide range of high-quality meat products, cooked meat, dairy products, confectionery, fruit and vegetables. The domestic firms manufacture packing materials, goffer and glass containers for their production.

In the afternoon the business forum brought together Turkmen manufacturers and entrepreneurs, the high-ranking and specialists of the national ministries and departments in the conference hall of the Exhibition Centre.

The reports presented at the forum provided the detailed information about the current conditions and the prospects for private sector development in the country. The forum participants discussed the important aspects of cooperation between state-run and business structures in the light of the programmes on diversification of production and economic development of our country.