President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired an expanded meeting on the work being carried out in the regions to ensure employment and increase household incomes.
As is known, on September 3, the Head of State held a meeting on bringing poverty reduction and household income growth efforts to a new level. At the meeting, the approach to organizing work in the regions was fundamentally changed, with key powers and resources transferred to the district level.
Under the new system, coordination teams are being established in every region and district under the leadership of khokims. Employment agencies and economic authorities are required to jointly address employment and household income issues directly on the ground.
At today’s meeting, the implementation of these tasks, the activities of the coordination teams, and the effectiveness of using available opportunities in the regions were critically reviewed.
It was noted that the coordination teams have already begun operating in all regions. To effectively organize their work, two responsible officials have been assigned to each region – a total of 28 representatives from the economic sector. The reform coordination teams, ministries, banks, and local khokimiyats have begun working under the new system.
At the same time, some leaders are still trying to organize work from their offices without visiting mahallas or studying the actual situation of each family and enterprise. The Head of State emphasized that such an approach will not produce results.
The Head of State emphasized that khokimsshould take a broader approach to poverty reduction rather than limiting their efforts to maintaining the Social Register. The Social Register is a tool for supporting the population, while poverty reduction means providing families with stable sources of income, creating jobs, and ensuring the necessary infrastructure and conditions.
At the meeting, specific examples demonstrated that every district has opportunities to expand employment.
In particular, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the situation in Koshkupyr district, where a textile enterprise worth 43 million euros and designed to create 1,300 jobs has remained idle since the beginning of the year. To restore the enterprise’s operations, the bank can engage a crisis manager and bring production to full capacity.
The possibility of reviewing restrictions imposed on the assets of 124 enterprises with a total value of 6 trillion soums and transferring them to bank management was also noted. This would allow 10,000 jobs to be restored.
Using the Oqoltin Mega Tekstil enterprise in Akaltyn district as an example, the President noted that ready-made facilities transferred to bank balance sheets should be put into operation rather than sold off in parts. Such an approach would provide employment for hundreds of people.
Overall, state-owned banks have around 2,500 properties worth 10 trillion soums on their balance sheets. Their effective use would allow up to 40,000 jobs to be restored.
The Head of State instructed responsible officials to conduct, within one week, a full inventory of enterprises transferred to bank balance sheets in settlement of debts and, by the end of the year, take measures either to sell them as complete production facilities or restore their operations by bringing in managers.
Starting October 1, enterprises in rural areas that employ members of low-income families will pay social tax at a reduced rate of 2 percent for these employees.
The meeting also focused on the effective use of private sector opportunities. Akaltyn district was cited as a positive example, with an entrepreneur establishing a private school for 880 students and providing free education to 110 children from low-income families.
An important condition of this initiative is to provide employment for the parents of children receiving free education and ensure that the children attend classes regularly. As a result, parents gain employment while their children receive a quality education.
It was noted that a garment factory in Khazaraspdistrict has 400 vacancies, but many women are unable to take these jobs due to a lack of childcare facilities. The head of the enterprise expressed readiness to provide meals and transportation for the women if a land plot is allocated for the construction of a kindergarten.
In this regard, the Head of State emphasized that if entrepreneurs propose ready-to-implement projects to establish kindergartens, schools, and technical colleges and undertake to provide free education to children from low-income families, the state is ready to offer land plots for auction at a starting price of 1 million soums.
The meeting also addressed opportunities in the service sector. The ground floors of apartment buildings could be used for services convenient for residents, including hair salons, beauty salons, small shops, tailor shops, and shoe and household appliance repair services. However, current procedures for converting residential property into non-residential use require excessive approvals and permits.
It was therefore proposed to allow apartments on the ground floors of multi-story buildings to be used for trade and service activities without reclassifying them as non-residential. Such activities would operate on a notification basis.
The Head of State instructed responsible officials to develop, within one month, a list of services that could operate in such premises, along with relevant safety requirements.
The meeting also identified additional tasks for organizing work at the district and mahalla levels. First and foremost, responsible officials were instructed to identify underutilized and vacant buildings in each region, as well as land plots where production and services could be expanded, and link them to new projects.
The President instructed responsible officials to place entrepreneurial projects along busy streets in districts and mahallas based on master plans. In historic cities and tourist mahallas, streets are to be developed in an “old town” style, with more guesthouses, trade and service facilities.
In the agricultural sector, the President emphasized the importance of renewing old orchards, bringing unused land into use, and increasing the profitability of each hectare. This will allow land to be used more efficiently, increase yields, and create additional sources of income for the rural population.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also instructed responsible officials to identify vacant areas around apartment buildings, regulate illegally occupied plots, create playgrounds, sports and fitness areas, and public green spaces, and improve street lighting.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle among the population by organizing group walks, physical exercise, and morning and evening workouts in mahallas and on the streets.
The President instructed responsible officials to create conditions for the large-scale training of young people, women, and unemployed citizens in professions, crafts, and languages, using vacant facilities at schools, technical colleges, universities, and other institutions, as well as classrooms outside regular hours.
The Head of State emphasized that every mahalla has active citizens and members of the older generation who care about public affairs. Bringing them together around the mahalla will help involve people in creative initiatives and overcome dependency and indifference.
Under a recently signed Presidential decree, the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Mahalla Affairs has been introduced and a responsible official appointed. He has been tasked with coordinating the activities of khokims, district departments, the mahalla “seven” and banks within a unified system, as well as integrating the electronic platforms they use.
Officials coordinating the activities of the mahalla “seven” will no longer hold separate meetings on mahalla-related issues. All matters will be discussed once a week under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister, with the participation of all responsible officials.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that properly organizing work in mahallas, ensuring that state policy reaches the local level, and providing every family with a stable source of income are among the most important tasks for leaders at all levels.
The meeting also heard reports from local reform coordination teams, regional leaders, district and city khokims, and other responsible officials.