Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 22 April, a video-conference on the issues of ensuring employment and preventing the decline in incomes of the population was chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the suspension of millions of enterprises and organizations has affected the lives of 2 billion 700 million workers. The number of poor people in the world is at risk of doubling or 500 million.

In our country, as a result of quarantine, the volumes of production and services rendered at 196 thousand enterprises were significantly reduced. As a result of quarantine, the number of unemployed naturally increased.

Tax revenues for the 20 days of April also indicate a negative trend. In particular, revenues decreased by 30-40 percent in a number of regions, and in some areas and cities - by more than 50 percent.

In such difficult conditions, the state takes a number of measures. In particular, according to two decisions adopted a month ago, the number of families with children who are entitled to benefits and material assistance increased from 595 thousand to 655 thousand, that is, 60 thousand. At the same time, the terms of repayments on household loans in the amount of 3 trillion 260 billion soums were extended.

During the quarantine period, the Employment Promotion Fund and the Public Works Fund provided employment to 141 thousand 800 unemployed citizens, they paid wages in the amount of 43 billion 225 million soums. At the same time, sponsorship coordination centers distributed food and sanitary products to 219 thousand families.

However, one cannot limit it to this. The situation changing every day requires additional measures to ensure employment and social protection of needy families.

At the meeting, on the example of ongoing work in Samarkand and Namangan regions, the issue of material support for citizens who were left without work as a result of quarantine restrictions was discussed.

It was noted that entrepreneurs and farmers should help poor families do household chores, set aside plots in their lands for re-cultivating crops, and promote home-based work. The state will provide such entities with deferment or installment plan for taxes or loans.

For example, the head of the Agromir enterprise in Samarkand region took custody of a thousand families and began creating a vineyard on 600 hectares. He took over 500 low-income families into a cooperative full-time job, divided the area of the vineyard between them and set up the cultivation of agricultural products. Grew cucumber seeds ripening for forty days of variety. Took another 100 people for construction work.

Another example: the head of the Asia Metal Prof enterprise in the city of Samarkand handed out products to thousands of families, took the initiative to build houses for 10 families in need, and employ 100 citizens. In addition, the founders of the Art Soft cluster in the Namangan region decided to help 3,000 families in the cities of Namangan, Pap, Mingbulak and Yangikurgan districts.

For the effective organization of these events, an operational headquarters of the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction and the State Tax Committee to coordinate the activities of ministries and khokimiyats will be created.

Instructions are given on compiling an accurate list of citizens who were left without work and in need of assistance by region and city, targeted organization of work as part of the nationwide movement, “Compassion and Support”.

The need for employing people who were unemployed before quarantine depended on daily earnings was noted.

In particular, it indicated the possibility of creating 14 thousand new jobs through the organization of agricultural cooperatives and home greenhouses. The task was set to cover 110 thousand people with seasonal work, 167 thousand with public works.

As you know, at the last few meetings, under the chairmanship of the head of state, important measures were identified in the fields of agriculture, construction, the chemical industry and mechanical engineering. If you properly organize their implementation on the ground, employment will be provided for thousands of people.

For example, it is possible to create 52 thousand jobs through the creation of orchards, vineyards and greenhouses on 26 thousand hectares, 785 thousand jobs in the silk industry, 75 thousand jobs in the areas of construction and infrastructure.

The President noted that it is necessary to ensure the quality implementation of these tasks, to achieve both employment and people’s satisfaction.

Particular attention at the meeting was paid to the development of services.

At present, they have stopped operations or have significantly lost in revenue 13 thousand public catering enterprises, 45 thousand trade enterprises, 19 thousand service companies, 7 thousand transport enterprises.

Under quarantine, it is possible to normalize the activity of at least 70 percent of these enterprises by arranging the delivery of food and goods, organizing mobile trade and services.

At the same time, it seems possible to resume services for receiving payments, insurance and microcredit with strict observance of quarantine requirements.

Based on this, the Special Republican Commission was instructed to create conditions for business entities providing delivery services.

Starting in September last year, the issuance of temporary labor certificates to self-employed citizens was begun, but this does not give the desired result.

In this regard, the need to create a convenient and simple legal system to support and legalize the activities of self-employed people was noted.

Currently, such citizens are allowed to engage in 85 activities. At the meeting, it is indicated to expand this list, to allow all types of entrepreneurial activity not prohibited by law. A self-employment notification registration mechanism will be introduced.

Our country is rich in handicraft traditions, huge potential in this area. Today she feeds more than 25 thousand artisans, if we take into account the students - about 80 thousand families.

At the meeting, instructions were given to organize distance learning courses, provide crafts to youth and women, and popularize through television the experience of craftsmen.

The Hunarmand Association, the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade are entrusted with the task of creating an online platform for marketing handicraft products abroad under the brand of Uzbekistan.

Today, many young people provide design, translation, programming, advertising, tutoring and other services, sitting at home, via the Internet. These specialists, freelancers, face a number of obstacles when opening a bank account remotely, and accepting payments. Thus, their costs increase by 2-3 times.

In this regard, the responsible persons were instructed to create various benefits and preferences for such categories of workers, to promote youth training in intellectual work through the Internet, and to introduce popular foreign payment systems in the country.

Responsible persons and khokims provided information on the upcoming work in fulfillment of the tasks set at the video conference.