Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 28 January, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with a briefing on improving the targeting of social assistance and implementing a new system for caring for people with disabilities.

This directive was issued during a video conference on 13 December, and in line with global practices and modern trends, several initiatives were developed. One of the proposals is to establish a system whereby social assistance provided through the "Women’s Ledger" and "Youth Ledger" will be directed to families included in the "Register of Poor Families." The funds will be distributed based on the population size, the number of people with disabilities, and low-income families in various districts and cities.

Recognition of a family as poor will allow them to receive social assistance without the need for additional applications or documentation from family members.

Furthermore, ineffective and unused types of social assistance will be abolished, and a unified list of 28 types of social assistance will be approved. Expenses for medical treatment and surgeries funded through social ledgers will be covered by the State Medical Insurance Fund.

In districts and cities, infrastructure and social stability funds will be created. These funds will not be legal entities but will direct resources towards addressing socio-economic, organizational, practical, and infrastructural issues, promoting a healthy lifestyle, developing sports, as well as environmental and conservation activities.

The President particularly emphasized the need to focus attention and care on children with disabilities. As a result, it has been proposed to establish a day care service for children with disabilities aged 3 to 18 years based on public-private partnerships. Admission to these institutions will be based on a social contract with parents and a conclusion from a psycho-medical-pedagogical commission.

It is expected that by the end of the year, approximately 2,000 children with severe disabilities will benefit from this service, allowing their mothers to work and pursue education.

Additionally, an information system called "Children’s Health" will be launched to track the diagnoses of each child with a disability. Under this program, comprehensive medical, rehabilitation, educational, and social services will be provided.

Care services will receive subsidies for each child, along with concessional loans for purchases. Parent payments for day care services, which do not exceed 3 million soums per month, will be exempt from taxation.

Information was also presented regarding measures to assist families in overcoming poverty. This process is organized based on the principle of "seven opportunities and responsibilities." An information system called "Register of Poor Families" has been launched, which examines the socio-economic situation of families, their income, and assets.

Based on this data, 48,000 citizens have been employed, over 10,000 have received vocational training, and 14,000 have received loans and subsidies. Doctors have been assigned to 140,000 families, and social services were provided to 38,000 citizens. Additionally, 32,000 children have been enrolled in kindergartens, and nearly 7,000 young people have been directed to universities for entrance exam preparation.

The President approved the proposed measures and instructed that employability be considered when working with the register of low-income families, ensuring state protection for non-working citizens, and facilitating their social adaptation.