Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video conference was held on 17 July on improving drinking water supply and sewerage systems in the regions, accelerating preparations for the autumn-winter season.

On 30 November 2018, the head of state signed a decree "On additional measures for the development of drinking water supply and sewerage systems in the Republic of Uzbekistan." Over the past two years, 3.7 trillion soums have been allocated from the budget for these purposes. In addition, foreign loans worth US$1.9 billion were attracted for the implementation of 48 projects.

The meeting noted that despite plans to provide access to drinking water for 3.6 million people and solve all financial issues within three years, only 30 percent of households received access to water.

The selection of projects does not take into account the local situation, the needs of the population and the availability of water sources. The heads of industries and regions should be seriously concerned about the fact that the burden of repaying loans falls on the budget, it was noted at the meeting.

The head of state pointed out the problems in the implementation of projects and the return of foreign loans, stressed the need to fully use the newly laid water supply networks and, starting next year, provide for the laying of water supply networks in all projects not only to the village, but also directly to people’s homes.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the need to create a monitoring and control system for all processes from project development to their implementation, the responsibility for the effectiveness of which will be borne not only by the responsible persons of the sphere, but also by the khokims.

For this purpose, supervisory councils headed by regional khokims will be created in regional water supply enterprises. They will be equally responsible for the quality implementation of projects, the targeted use of funds and the return of the loan received. JSC "Uzsuvtaminot" will form projects in agreement with the khokims and the population based on the specifics of the region.

The progress of each project will be studied by deputies of regional and district kengashs on site. The approval of tariffs for drinking water will also be transferred to the competence of regional councils of people’s deputies

In order to fully reorganize the design process in the field, the Ministry of Housing and Utilities Services and the State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources were instructed to develop a scheme for the development of water supply and sewerage systems, linking them with general plans of regions and sources of drinking water.

The President noted that the implementation of small energy efficient projects will give good results.

An example is a pilot project in Ulugnar district of Andijan region. Here 2 thousand people will have access to drinking water through the construction of a well equipped with a 5-kilowatt solar power plant. The project worth 52 million soums will pay for itself in less than three years, saving 44 thousand kilowatts of electricity per year.

It is indicated that the number of such projects should be increased in areas far from water sources and the laying of power grids to which is associated with high costs.

To prevent the delay in the development of investments in the field, the task was set to introduce a new system, in accordance with which purchases for projects implemented at the expense of international financial institutions will be open, coordination and effective monitoring of their implementation will be conducted.

Instructions were given to expand the equipping of hydraulic structures with water measuring devices, consumers with water meters, and the organization of a center equipped with digital technologies for processing consumption data.

There are high losses in water supply networks, the head of state noted. In some places, the quality of drinking water does not meet standards. The Inspectorate for Control of Drinking Water Use is indifferent to solving these problems.

Therefore, it is necessary to actively involve the private sector in the sphere, to increase its attractiveness by providing subsidies and creating conditions. And the delegation of the right to set tariffs to the regions themselves will give impetus to this process.

During the video conference, the issues of preparing the housing stock, economic sectors and social facilities for the autumn-winter season were also discussed.

The importance of reducing problem debts of partnerships, transferring management of apartment buildings to service companies was noted. The issue of guaranteed supplies of coal and liquefied gas to remote areas in the autumn-winter period was touched upon.

Measures have been determined to ensure uninterrupted provision of the population with food products, to expand the cultivation, purchase and reserve secondary crops.

The need to pay special attention to the situation of low-income families, to provide 30 thousand needy households with food and medicines for the autumn-winter period at the expense of the "Kindness and Support" Fund was pointed out.

At the meeting, reports from the heads of industries and regions were heard.