President Mirziyoyev Approves Comprehensive Socio-Economic Development Program for Karakalpakstan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a landmark decree outlining the socio-economic development of the Republic of Karakalpakstan for 2026 and establishing long-term programs for the following years. The document sets ambitious medium-term targets intended to accelerate economic growth, bolster employment, and modernize the region's infrastructure.

Under the new mandate, the government aims to expand Karakalpakstan’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) by 8.1% and industrial output by 8% by the end of 2026. Parallel social targets include reducing the unemployment rate to 4.2% and lowering the poverty rate to 3.2%. A key localized priority involves transforming the city of Nukus, the Kungrad and Chimbay districts, and 109 specific neighborhoods (mahallahs) into zones entirely free from unemployment and poverty.

The decree also establishes strategic benchmarks leading to 2030. By that time, the region's GRP is projected to reach 102.4 trillion soums, with agricultural production hitting 28.9 trillion soums. The government plans to facilitate industrial and service sector projects totaling an estimated US$7.2 billion, with the goal of increasing regional exports to US$900 million.

Significant administrative restructuring is also part of the plan. The position of First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan for Ecology and Aral Sea Development has been abolished. In its place, a new First Deputy Chairman role has been created to focus exclusively on the efficient use of pastures, strengthening the livestock fodder base, and developing the animal husbandry sector.

In the agricultural sector, a specialized system for the cultivation, storage, packaging, and delivery of livestock feed will be established across the Kungrad, Chimbay, Beruniy, Bozataw, and Kanlykul districts. By the end of 2026, a modern agro-complex in the Beruniy district is expected to begin operations, producing 36,000 tons of livestock and fish feed annually. Between 2026 and 2028, approximately 10,000 hectares of land will be dedicated to fodder crop cultivation.

Infrastructure development remains a cornerstone of the initiative. To alleviate traffic congestion in Nukus, the government will oversee the construction of a 2.2-kilometer road, a bridge, and a new overpass on the Nukus–Chimbay–Takhtakupyr highway. In the Amudarya district, plans include laying 107.1 kilometers of new drinking water networks across six neighborhoods and reconstructing 110.5 kilometers of public roads. Additionally, a 31-kilometer section of the D 235 highway in the Shumanay district is slated for full reconstruction.