Strengthening executive discipline, increasing responsibility and effectiveness of managers in all sectors and regions is an important task

The meeting was attended by the heads of both chambers of the Oliy Majlis, the Prime Minister and his deputies, heads of relevant ministries and agencies, as well as the Chairman of the Jokargy Kenges of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, khokims of the regions and the city of Tashkent, via videoconferencing.

Today, the role and importance of agriculture in sustainable development of the economy, ensuring food security, increasing the export potential of the country are growing. More than 3.6 million people are working in this sphere, its share in the gross domestic product is consistently growing.

In this regard, issues of modernization and accelerated development of agriculture are identified as a priority in the Action Strategy on five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021, specific measures are envisaged. All this, of course, will contribute to improvement of welfare of the population, dynamic development of rural industry and effective use of opportunities of agricultural sector for creating new jobs.

As a result of reforms carried out within the framework of implementation of decrees and resolutions adopted in the last one and a half year on stimulating exports, creating favorable conditions and benefits for this, practical measures taken to fully exploit the export potential of industries and regions, the volume of exports is constantly growing. Until May 25 this year, exports amounted to 4 billion 576 million dollars. Until the end of the month, all relevant forecast indicators will be executed. It is expected that the volume of exports will grow by almost 21 percent compared with the same period of 2017.

It is planned that in the first half of the year exports will amount to 5 billion 886 million dollars, the forecasted figures will be fulfilled by 100.9 percent, a 25-percent growth will be achieved in comparison with the first half of 2017.

The Head of the state, drawing attention of the meeting participants to these positive results, at the same time noted that they are much lower than the available opportunities and capacities. It was emphasized that, unfortunately, managers of some industries and regions do not fully feel their responsibility in this matter, as a result, the reserves on increasing export volumes are not fully utilized.

Issues of the agenda of the meeting that was held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on May 29, were considered in detail and critically in the context of complexes of the Cabinet of Ministers, the most important tasks were identified. Responsible leaders were given clear directions and instructions: to critically analyze activities of organizations and enterprises, regions that have not fulfilled the established plans on export of products and services over the last period of the current year, identify and promptly eliminate the causes and consequences of lagging behind.

At the meeting it was noted that activities on optimizing imports in the country is in an unsatisfactory state. Over the past 4 months of this year, the volume of imports of goods amounted to 4 billion 858 million dollars, that is, increased by 1 billion 111 million dollars, or to 30 percent, compared with the same period of 2017. The reasons for this situation are the absence of an organized work on studying the structure of imports and its optimization, implementation by enterprises of complexes, in January-April, the import of products, production of which has already been mastered in the country, by $89 million.

Responsible persons were given specific instructions on timely elimination of such shortcomings and their prevention.

At the meeting, devoted to issues of export and import, providing additional revenues to local budgets, as well as current tasks related to taking important measures on harvesting crops, multiple cropping and rational use of water, it was emphasized that this year there was a relatively small amount of precipitation in the country, which resulted in a shortage of water in most regions, which requires its more rational use.

In this regard, attention was drawn to the need of reducing rice fields from 162 thousand to 94 thousand hectares, providing 7.5 thousand hectares of land in Syrdarya region, which has no problems in water supply, farmers of Khorezm region, 5.5 thousand hectares of land in Jizzakh region – farmers of Karakalpakstan for growing rice as a multiple cropping.

It was noted that the areas for multiple cropping will be reduced by 30, 42, 20, 14 and 10 thousand hectares, respectively in Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Bukhara, Navoi regions and Karakalpakstan, where water shortages are expected. It was indicated that it is necessary to pay attention to growing of mung beans, beans and other crops that are undemanding of water, including fodder crops in these regions, with their placement near water sources. Leaders of relevant ministries and departments were given specific instructions on timely and effective organization of these works.

At the meeting it was noted that cool and dry weather in spring months this year leads to serious problems in growing cotton, as a result of which its development lags far behind last year’s indicators, which requires special attention to its care. It was noted that in such a difficult situation it is necessary to use cultivators even more efficiently, to approach responsibly to activities on deep loosening of the soil, small hilling, combating and controlling agricultural pests.

The heads of relevant ministries, agencies and regions were given instructions on creating a fundamentally new system for financing the procurement of cotton, organizing the readiness of equipment and regularly supplying it with diesel fuel for timely and qualitative implementation of agrotechnical measures.

Participants of the meeting took a decision on announcing in the country “The impact month on formation of guaranteed yield of cotton”, from June 1 to July 1. It was emphasized that in order to preserve the crop grown with considerable effort and cost, along with managers and workers of farms, agricultural specialists, irrigation and machine operators, agrarian scientists and agronomists, it is also necessary to increase responsibility of deputies of all levels.

At the meeting, held on May 29 under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, another important issue – ensuring grain harvesting campaign that is to be held this year in a short time and without losses, was discussed.

All conditions for qualitative repair and preparation for the season of 3,106 high-performance combine harvesters have been created. In addition, about 400 new harvesters are being delivered to places, which will allow to complete harvesting a week earlier than in previous years. It was noted that for this purpose it is necessary to create units for harvesting grain, provide combines, trucks, mobile repair shops and filling units, organize harvesting works on the basis of a schedule.

The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to introduce a draft resolution in the coming days, where all organizational issues related to harvesting this year’s grain will be provided.

The state of work on attracting additional revenues to the regional budgets were criticized at the meeting devoted to providing additional revenues to local budgets, and other issues. Cases of non-fulfillment in some regions of the plans established for this period of the current year were also criticized. As a result, tax arrears in these regions are growing.

It was noted that the heads of khokimiyats, local sectors, unfortunately, still do not fully understand the purpose of identifying and attracting additional sources of income to the budget. The main reasons for this state of affairs are that financial organizations do not conduct surveys on identifying additional sources of income, they are limited only to checking and liquidating inactive legal entities instead of assisting them in restoring their activities. It was emphasized that strengthening the executive discipline, increasing responsibility and effectiveness of leaders in all sectors and regions remain a major task.

At the meeting, speakers expressed practical proposals on prompt elimination of existing problems and shortcomings in the sphere, timely and effective implementation of tasks on the basis of critical remarks made by the President.