GDP of Kazakhstan in 2000 will INCREASE by 3% - Minister of economy

/PRIME TASS, Jan.20, 00/ - Growth of the Gross domestic Product /GDP/ of Kazakhstan in 2000 will make not less than 3%, the Minister of economy of Kazakhstan Zhaksybek Kulekeev has declared at the press-conference in Astana on Wednesday. In industry the Kazakhstan Government expects 4% growth, the rate of inflation is predicted to be 9%. At the same time, the Government "very cautiously looks on 2000: The Situation still remains unstable, the Kazakhstani economy last years has become an open economy and its development will be influenced by the external factors, first of all by the situation in Russia." The minister also has informed that, by the provisional data, GDP of Kazakhstan in 1999 has grown by 1.6-1.7%, and has reached of approximately 1,880 billion tenges or about $13.52 billions. The industrial production growth has made 2.3%, agricultural - 22%. The inflation in 1999 has made 17.8%.