DUSHANBE , July 23, 2008, Asia-Plus - Turkmenistan ''s GDP rose 7.1% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, the chairman of the State Statistics Committee, Kakmyrat Mommadov, said at a televised government meeting on July 21.

Industry accounted for 51.1% of GDP, agriculture for 7.9%, construction for 4.9%, transport and communications for 5%, retail trade for 7.3% and services for 23.8%.

The trade surplus in the first half of 2008 amounted to $2.7885 billion, 46% higher than in the same period last year. Trade turnover was up 32.7%.

"The results of the first half of 2008 evidence the dynamic development of the economy at stable rates of growth," President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said at the meeting.

However, Berdimuhamedow said that despite heavy investment, the oil and gas sector was not developing at a sufficiently high rate. He instructed Deputy Prime Minister Tachberdy Tagiyev to set up a meeting to examine the results of operations in the sector, at which a number of key issues and the decisions taken will be reviewed.

Berdimuhamedow also criticized the Agriculture Ministry and the heads of administration in the regions and districts for failure to advance reforms in the farm sector and for poor coordination in supplying seed, fertilizer, water, machinery and parts to farmers.