Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 1 May / Trend D. Azizov /
In January-March, 2013, Uzbekistan commissioned 587 new manufacturing firms, the Ministry of Economy and the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan wrote in a joint report released on Wednesday.
According to the report, 190 were commissioned in the fields of the light textile industry, 179 in food, 29 - woodworking, 10 - chemical, 112 - building materials production, six - machinery construction and 61 various industries.
Some 114 new investment projects at a total cost of $4.3 billion were launched during the reporting period. The implementation of the aerated concrete production organisation project at JV Stroy Max Invest was completed and a new dry cement production line at JSC Bekabadcement was introduced.
In the free industrial and economic zone of Navoi 12, enterprises were commissioned. The implementation of the six investment projects at a cost of over $48 million was continued. Work on the implementation of eight investment projects at a cost of $185.8 million in the Angren free economic zone was begun. The main measures on the creation of a free economic zone in Jizak were determined and started being implemented.
One hundred and fifty-seven plants producing building materials with the use of local raw materials and components, including windows and doors, non-metallic building materials, pavers, concrete products, baked bricks, aerated concrete and gypsum products were introduced or modernised in order to expand the resource base for the implementation of the housing programme.
1.8 million square metres of housing were constructed (a five per cent growth compared to the same period of 2012), including 1.3 million square metres in rural areas (a 5.5 per cent growth).
The work on the reconstruction of a 42-kilometre section of the A373 Tashkent-Osh highway around Kokand and the construction of an eight kilometre section in a new direction for seven passenger cars was completed.
The implementation of projects for the electrification of Marokand-Karshi and Karshi-Termez railroad sections were continued, receiving 2.4 and $ 2.6 million capital investment in the reporting period, respectively.
4.6 trillion sums of investments were made in the reporting period in total which is 7.2 per cent more than in the same period of 2012. 68.2 per cent of the investments are being directed to projects in the productive sectors of the economy.