Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - Today, on 6 December 2019, the Agency for Information and Mass Communications under the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Hunarmand Association, together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan, held a press conference on the essence and significance of the Decree Of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On additional measures for the further development of handicraft and support for artisans” from 28 November 2019.

The press conference was attended by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan A. Ikramov, the chairman of the Hunarmand Association, as well as representatives of the State Committee for Tourism Development, Halyk Bank, the National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, craftsmen and the media information.

The conference was opened by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan Adkham Ikramov.

In his speech, Adham Ikramov noted that the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures for the further development of handicrafts, comprehensive support of artisans” dated November 17, 2017 No. 5242 showed its results and contributed to the development of handicrafts, therefore, as of 1 December 2019 in the year the number of registered masters in the Hunarmand Association increased 2.5 times and today their number is 32,000, 53,500 students have been trained and 46,400 new jobs have been created. Banks funded 12,402 projects for a total of 405.1 billion soums. In 2018-2019, $ 18 million worth of handicrafts were exported throughout the country.

At a press conference, the chairman of the Hunarmand Association Ulugbek Abdullaev informed the media about the measures, essence and significance of the Presidential Decree “On Additional Measures for the Further Development of Craftsmanship and Support for Craftsmen”.

According to the decree:

A national catalog of masters of applied art will be created, and from January 1, 2020, the National catalog will be launched as an open and public website.

The Council of the Ministry of Culture and the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Uzbekistan is headed by the chairman of the Hunarmand association for the selection of candidates for the national catalog of craftsmen.

The State Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with the Hunarmand Association will create a register of artisans in the tourism sector.

Centers for the development of handicrafts, schools for usta-shogird will be created, it is planned to provide loans for the construction of museums and workshops or the purchase of buildings and structures, working capital replenishment for 18 months at a rate not exceeding 250 times the basic calculation.

Starting from the academic year 2020/2021, specialized courses in crafts and folk arts will be organized for children's music and art schools, Barkamol Avlod children's centers and vocational training centers under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Within two months, a special “artisans' store” will be created on the territory of large shopping centers and farmer markets.

By the end of 2020, in all regions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and the city of Tashkent, a modern “craft market” will be created with the involvement of entrepreneurs.

Specialized craft complexes will be created on the example of the Suzuk-Ota complex with the aim of social support for artisans.

The Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Culture, the Agency for the Management of State Assets and the Hunarmand Association organize exhibition halls and galleries of folk arts and crafts in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regional centers, as well as in Tashkent.

Corresponding indicators will be developed to assess the development of handicraft in the republic in conjunction with the State Committee for Statistics, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Hunarmand Association.

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the khakims of the regions and the city of Tashkent will develop strategies for the development of handicraft in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and the city of Tashkent for the period 2020-2021 in accordance with the measures set forth in this resolution, and the specialization of regions and cities, develops and submits a strategy to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and will approve it in the prescribed manner.

The National TV and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, together with the Hunarmand Association, will organize regular television programs on the Madaniyat wa Marifat channel, which will widely disseminate the history and development of modern applied art in the media.