Mirziyoyev Orders Faster Job Creation Across Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered officials to accelerate job creation and efforts to raise household incomes in the regions, criticizing local authorities for failing to work closely enough with communities and families.

Mirziyoyev made the remarks at an expanded meeting focused on the effectiveness of measures to ensure employment and increase incomes across the regions.

The meeting included a critical assessment of local headquarters established to coordinate the work and the implementation of a new system for reducing poverty. Changes to the organization of this work were set out at a videoconference on 3 September, when key powers and resources were transferred to the district level.

Headquarters headed by hokims now operate in every region and district. Employment authorities and economic agencies are expected to work together directly in mahallas to address employment and income growth.

According to the meeting, the headquarters have begun operating across all regions. Two responsible senior officials have been assigned to each region, bringing the total to 28 representatives from the economic sector. The new system also involves the reform headquarters, ministries, banks and local hokimiyats.

The president criticized officials who continue to work mainly from their offices, fail to visit mahallas and do not examine the situation of individual families and businesses. He said such an approach would not produce results.

The head of state stressed that poverty reduction cannot be reduced to maintaining the Social Register. Genuine poverty reduction requires creating sustainable sources of income for families, jobs, necessary infrastructure and conditions for employment.

One of the priorities will be more effective use of enterprises and assets held on banks’ balance sheets.

In Koshkupyr district, for example, a textile enterprise worth 43 million euros and designed to create 1,300 jobs has been idle since the beginning of the year. The bank has been instructed to bring in a crisis manager and restore the facility to full production.

The government is also considering lifting restrictions on the assets of 124 enterprises with a combined value of 6 trillion soums and transferring them to bank management. This is expected to help restore around 10,000 jobs.

Citing Okoltin Mega Textile in Akaltyn district, the president said completed facilities transferred to banks should be put into operation rather than sold off in parts. Such an approach could provide employment for hundreds of people.

State-owned banks currently hold around 2,500 property assets worth 10 trillion soums. Their effective use could help restore up to 40,000 jobs, the meeting noted.

Officials have been instructed to conduct a full inventory within a week of enterprises transferred to banks to settle debts. By the end of the year, measures must be taken either to sell them as single production complexes or restore their operations with the involvement of professional managers.

An additional employment incentive will apply to enterprises in rural areas. From 1 October, the social tax rate for workers from families in need hired by such enterprises will be set at 2%.

The meeting also focused on opportunities for the private sector. Akaltyn district was cited as an example, where an entrepreneur built a private school with capacity for 880 students and provides free education to 110 children from low-income families.

The project requires the parents of children receiving free education to be employed, while the children must regularly attend classes. The initiative therefore creates employment opportunities for parents while providing education for their children.

In Khazarasp district, meanwhile, a garment enterprise has 400 vacant positions. However, some women cannot take up the jobs because there are no childcare facilities. The company’s head is ready to provide workers with meals and transportation if a plot of land is allocated for the construction of a kindergarten.

In response, the government is prepared to offer entrepreneurs, through auctions, land plots with a starting price of 1 million soums if they propose ready-to-implement projects to build kindergartens, schools and technical colleges and are prepared to provide free education to children from families in need.

Another priority will be expanding services in residential areas. The ground floors of apartment buildings could accommodate barbershops, beauty salons, small shops, tailoring businesses, as well as shoe and household appliance repair workshops.

To facilitate this, the government plans to eliminate excessive procedures related to converting residential premises into non-residential property.

Ground-floor apartments in apartment buildings are proposed to be allowed for retail and service activities without changing their category, under a notification-based system.

Within a month, the relevant authorities are to prepare a list of permitted activities and safety requirements.

The president also ordered officials to identify vacant and underused buildings and land plots in the regions that could be used to develop manufacturing and services and connect them with new business projects.

Business projects should be located on busy streets in districts and mahallas in accordance with master plans. In historic cities and tourist mahallas, streets are to be landscaped in an “old city” style, while the number of guesthouses, retail outlets and service facilities is to be increased.

In agriculture, officials were tasked with renovating old orchards and putting unused land into productive use. Increasing the profitability of every hectare should help raise yields and create additional sources of income for rural residents.

Officials were also instructed to identify vacant areas near apartment buildings, bring illegally occupied plots into order, establish playgrounds, sports and fitness areas and green spaces, and ensure street lighting.

Mahallas are also expected to expand opportunities for physical activity and encourage residents to participate in mass walking, morning and evening exercise and other physical activities.

For young people, women and unemployed citizens, authorities are to organize training in professions, crafts and foreign languages. Vacant premises at schools, technical colleges, universities and other organizations, as well as classrooms outside regular hours, will be used for this purpose.

The meeting separately highlighted the role of active mahalla residents and older members of the community. They are to be more broadly involved in public initiatives to strengthen residents’ participation in mahalla development and reduce dependency attitudes.

Under a recently signed decree, the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Mahalla Affairs has been introduced and a responsible official appointed. The official is tasked with coordinating the work of hokims, district agencies, the mahalla “seven” and banks, as well as ensuring the integration of the electronic platforms they use.

Officials responsible for coordinating the work of the “seven” have been instructed to stop holding separate meetings on mahalla-related issues. Such matters will now be considered once a week under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister, with the participation of all relevant officials.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that effective work directly in mahallas, bringing government policy down to the grassroots level and ensuring every family has a sustainable source of income must remain priorities for officials at all levels.

During the meeting, reports were heard from regional reform headquarters, regional leaders, district and city hokims, and other officials responsible for the work.