CA-NEWS (UZ) - Average salaries in Uzbekistan will reach about US$500 by the end of 2010, Uzbek President Islam Karimov said in his address on occasion of the 19th anniversary of Independence of the country.

President Karimov said that the average salaries in Uzbekistan rose by almost 14 times compared to 1990.

According to official data, the average salary in last month of the first half made up 476,400 soums or US$300 at the official rate of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. The growth rate was 34.1% year-on-year.

Islam Karimov said that gross domestic product (GDP) of Uzbekistan rose by 3.5 times and GDP per capita by 2.5 times compared to 1990.

The Uzbek leader said that economy of Uzbekistan rose by 9% in 2008 and 8.1% in 2009. He added that Uzbekistan is expecting 8.5% growth of GDP in 2010.