President Mirziyoyev Chairs Meeting on Unlocking Tashkent Region’s Potential for Growth and Employment
Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: On December 10, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a critical meeting focused on leveraging untapped opportunities in the Tashkent region to boost employment, attract investments, and drive economic growth. The region, recognized for its potential in industry, agriculture, services, and tourism, has witnessed significant progress over the past seven years, with its economy growing 1.5 times and the number of industrial enterprises doubling to 12,000.
Despite this progress, challenges persist. Only 25% of the region’s land is utilized for agriculture, with income per hectare lagging behind other regions. Agricultural processing remains underdeveloped in areas such as Bekabad, Akhangaran, Akkurgan, Chinaz, and Piskent. At the meeting, President Mirziyoyev emphasized measures to improve land use efficiency, including integrating clusters, farms, and dehkan enterprises into the “Agroplatform” information system. This system will track data on sown areas, production volumes, workforce, and tax revenues.
Plans for 2024 include harvesting fruit and vegetable crops three times annually on 52,000 hectares and establishing industrial gardens and vineyards on 5,000 hectares. By connecting 22 districts and cities to processing and export enterprises, the region aims to produce 3.5 million tons of fruit and vegetable products next year and achieve $500 million in exports.
Infrastructure and Investment Opportunities
While the region’s infrastructure and logistics are conducive to entrepreneurship, the expansion of production, trade, and service facilities has been slower than expected, increasing by only 1.6 million square meters over the past three years. Of the 9,000 hectares allocated for investment projects, 2,000 hectares remain unused, alongside idle state facilities.
Investors have expressed interest in developing smart cities, medical clusters, and green power plants in the region. Thousands of entrepreneurs from across Uzbekistan are eager to establish new enterprises, hotels, shopping centers, and tourist complexes. President Mirziyoyev instructed officials to auction idle buildings and land on favorable terms to attract investment, create jobs, and boost exports.
Goals for 2024
The Hokim of the Tashkent region presented ambitious plans to attract $5 billion in investments and increase exports to $2 billion in 2024. Half of these investments will target already developed cities such as Almalyk, Angren, Chirchiq, Akhangaran, Zangota, and Qibray. Meanwhile, additional projects will focus on less developed areas, including Akkurgan, Bekabad, Buka, Parkent, Piskent, Quyichirchiq, and Chinaz, to stimulate job creation.
President Mirziyoyev outlined key targets for 2024, including providing employment for 700,000 people, reducing the unemployment rate to its natural level, lifting 22,000 families out of poverty, and decreasing the poverty rate from 7.2% to 4%. Special attention was given to creating opportunities for returning labor migrants.
Engaging Entrepreneurs
The meeting concluded with President Mirziyoyev engaging directly with entrepreneurs from the region, listening to their proposals and initiatives. He provided relevant instructions to responsible authorities, underscoring the importance of collaboration to harness the region’s full potential and enhance the well-being of its population.
This comprehensive strategy reaffirms Uzbekistan’s commitment to sustainable regional development and economic inclusivity.
