OREANDA-NEWS. October 3, 2011. A regular, twelfth session of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan of the fourth convocation was held on October 1. The deputies considered a number of new laws and statutory and legislative acts drafted in compliance with the state policy priorities at the present stage and the comprehensive programmes for modernization of the national legislation. Given the importance of the legal documents the cabinet ministers, the heads of ministries and departments concerned, law enforcement agencies and journalists had been invited to the session.

The agenda of the parliamentary session included the draft Law “On the 2012 State Budget of Turkmenistan” and the Resolutions of the Mejlis “On the Implementation of the 2010 State Budget of Turkmenistan” and other important legislative acts.

The draft Law “On the 2012 State Budget of Turkmenistan” was drafted in line with the objectives set in the National Programme of Social and Economic Development of Turkmenistan for 2011-2030, the National Programme for the improvement of social and living conditions in villages, settlements, towns in etraps and etrap centres for the period till 2010 and the ministerial and regional development programmes and presented to parliamentarians for consideration.

During the session the parliamentarians were informed in detail of the major principles and approach to drafting the 2012 State budget, the specifics of the formation of budget revenues, the major indicators of economic, cultural and social development forecast for the following year. It was noted that this major financial planning documents had been drafted in line with the specific comments and recommendations provided by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during the government meetings and the results of the in-depth science-based analysis of the trends in development of all sectors.

It was also noted that this law was aimed at maintaining the economic growth rate, implementing the tremendous potential of the country, enhancing effectiveness of public expenditures and eventually improving the welfare of the Turkmen people and the prosperity of the Motherland.

The deputies of the Mejlis said that the major objective of the 2012 State budget was to make substantial investment to maintain the high economic growth rates. In whole, the revenues in the 2012 State budget make up 74908,4 million manats and the expenditures – 76398,4 million manats.

The revenues of the 2012 State budget are expected to exceed this index in the 2011 State budget due to the higher economic growth rate, investment activity, modernisation of the material and technical basis of sectors, wide application of latest highly effective technologies in industry. The budget revenues will be formed at the expense of such important sectors of the industrial sphere as the oil and gas, chemical, power and construction industries. The agro-industrial, transport and communications, textile and food industries will be developed further.

It is expected that the revenues will rise next year through development and encouragement of the activity in the private sector.

In 2012 the expenditures of the State budget will increase due to further intensification of the social and cultural sphere. The substantial funds will be used to finance the development of education, health care, culture, social welfare and housing and communal services. 76.7 percent of the funds of the 2012 State budget are to be allocated to the social sphere.

Substantial investment are planned to be made to implement ambitious national projects and programmes, including to construct facilities in the Avaza national tourism zone, promote the urban development programme in the capital and regions of the country and build important social and cultural, industrial, transport and communications infrastructure facilities.

The protected expenditure items of the 2012 State budget of Turkmenistan include salaries, pensions, allowances and scholarships. In this context it should be noted that during the July government meeting this year the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed the Order authorizing to increase monthly salaries, pensions, welfare payments, scholarships by 10% . The President states with satisfaction that this decision testified to the economic strength of the state and the use of the existing opportunities to ensure the national interests and a prosperous, happy life of the Turkmen people.

Focusing on the crucial significance and role of this important financial legal document in promoting the political and socio-economic strategy of the Turkmen state at the present stage, deputies of the Mejlis approved and unanimously passed the Law of Turkmenistan “On the 2012 State Budget of Turkmenistan”.

The draft laws presented to deputies of the Mejlis for consideration included the draft Law of Turkmenistan “On Currency Regulation and Currency Control in Foreign Economic Activity”.

Focusing on the importance of this law, those speaking at the session noted that the legislative act establishing the procedure for using currency resources in the territory of Turkmenistan was to facilitate sustained growth of economy and ensure economic security as well as successful integration of our country in the modern global economic system.

The Law of Turkmenistan “On Representative Local Governments”, which had been drafted in line with the major objectives of the ongoing legal reform, was put on the agenda of the parliamentary session.

The Law of Turkmenistan “On the Amendments and Additions to the Law of Turkmenistan “On Refugees” drafted in line with the provisions of the new Constitution of Turkmenistan and universally recognized norms of international law was presented to deputies of the Mejlis for consideration. It was noted that Turkmen demonstrated its adherence to humanitarian commitments with respect to this category of persons.

The adoption of this document will contribute to updating current national laws and strengthening the legal foundations of the foreign policy activity of the Turkmen state.

The statutory and legislative acts considered during the parliamentary session included the draft laws on the additions of the Law of Turkmenistan “On Defence”, on the amendments and additions to the Law of Turkmenistan “On the Status and Social Protection of Military Servants and Their Families”, on the additions of the Law of Turkmenistan “On Military Duty and Military Service”, on the additions of the Law of Turkmenistan “To Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism”, on the additions of the Law of Turkmenistan “On Customs Service”, on the additions of the Labour Code of Turkmenistan, on the additions of the Law of Turkmenistan “On Hydrocarbon Resources”.

Deputies of the Mejlis approved and unanimously passed the new laws. They noted that the critical legal documents would replenish the existing legislative system of independent neutral Turkmenistan and facilitate the advancement of the country on the path of the progressive socio-economic and democratic reforms.