Additional opportunities for the development of the Kashkadarya region were considered

On June 20, a meeting on the socio-economic development of the Kashkadarya region was held in the Kukdala district under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the press service of the head of our state reports.

The head of state noted that large-scale transformations are taking place in the region, and reforms are really reflected in people’s lives.

Previously, more than half of the region’s industry accounted for the oil and gas and chemical industries. In recent years, a qualitative leap has been made in the fields of electrical engineering, construction materials production, textile and furniture industries. The share of these industries in the region’s industry today has reached 54 percent.

However, development does not stand still – many problems still need to be solved. According to estimates, Kashkadarya has untapped potential worth at least $ 15 billion. Even if a third of this potential is realized, the gross regional product can be increased to $ 10 billion over the next five years.

As is known, reform headquarters are being created in the districts included in the accelerated development program. It was emphasized that new projects launched in Shakhrisabz, Yakkabagh and Kukdal could serve as a model for these headquarters. Now a similar headquarters will be created in the Kashkadarya region.

The President outlined additional reserves for the comprehensive development of the region. The greatest potential lies in agricultural lands. Thus, irrigated lands in the region amount to 515 thousand hectares, land for household plots and gardens – 45 thousand hectares, which is the highest figure in the republic.

In addition, the region has 1.3 million hectares of pastures and forest lands. A special company will be created for their effective use. It will be granted the status of a joint-stock company and appropriate financing, including investments. The Prime Minister is entrusted with the management of the supervisory board. At the initial stage, the company will be allocated 100 million dollars. It is planned to use these funds and attracted investments to laser level at least 200 thousand hectares of pastures and forest lands and introduce water-saving technologies within two years.

A comprehensive livestock development program will be launched. For these purposes, the Agricultural Fund will provide preferential loans for up to 12 months at 14 percent. Thanks to this, 127 farms in the region will reach full capacity. Additional financial support will be provided to livestock breeders.

Since the beginning of the year, the export of fruits and vegetables in the region has doubled and amounted to 62 million dollars. Watermelons from Kukdala are especially famous. There is similar export potential for tomatoes. In this regard, industrial cultivation of tomatoes will be established on 6 thousand hectares in 13 districts.

Preferential loans for up to 12 months at 10 percent per annum will be issued for potato growing. Import of necessary equipment is exempt from customs duties, and 50 percent of VAT will be compensated for the purchase of high-reproduction seeds.

Employment and poverty reduction remain priorities. Despite the fact that 284 thousand people have been employed since the beginning of the year, the region still has a high unemployment rate.

Therefore, this year it is planned to employ 470 thousand people in Kashkadarya, lift 150 thousand families out of poverty and turn Kitab district, as well as the cities of Karshi and Shakhrisabz into “territories without unemployment and poverty”.

In particular, tourist zones will be created in the picturesque corners of Shakhrisabz, Kamashinsky, Guzarsky and Chirakchi districts. The conditions for suppliers of the traditional dish – yakhna will improve at the Chiyal market in Kukdala district, which will contribute to the development of gastronomic tourism. A blacksmithing center will appear in the Karasuv mahalla of Shakhrisabz.

Unemployed citizens will be taught foreign languages ​​and sent to work in high-income countries. Enterprises designed to create 70,000 jobs will be created on the basis of more than 120 facilities and 400 hectares of land put up for auction.

This year, the region plans to attract investments worth 3.5 billion dollars. Over five months, investment volumes have almost doubled in Kasan, Kitab and Chirakchi.

It was noted that the region’s subsoil has great potential for attracting investment and creating products with high added value. Thus, reserves of 39 tons of gold were discovered in five promising deposits in Kitab, and 10 thousand tons of rare earth metals in Chirakchi. In the field of construction materials, 16 projects worth 150 million dollars have been prepared.

An innovative industrial zone of 200 hectares will be created around the gas processing plant in Mubarek using the existing infrastructure. Five major projects in the fields of petrochemistry, electrical engineering, robotics and building materials will be implemented in it using the cluster system.

Despite the region’s leadership in cotton production, the region’s share in the textile industry is

less than 10 percent of the country remains. In this area, it is planned to launch 35 projects worth 400 million dollars. This year, cotton processing will reach 51 percent, next year – 100 percent.

Developed infrastructure is needed to implement such large-scale economic projects. Thus, the reconstruction of 100 kilometers of the Guzar – Bukhara – Nukus – Beineu highway passing through the region will increase the transit potential threefold.

A 106-kilometer section of the Karshi – Shakhrisabz – Kitab highway will also be reconstructed, which will be expanded from two to four lanes. As part of the project, a new 34-kilometer bypass road will be built around the Kamashinsky and Yakkabag district centers. With the participation of the Islamic Development Bank, a 60-kilometer section of the Tashkent – Termez highway passing through the region will become four-lane and will receive a cement concrete pavement.

To improve the living conditions of the population, 7,700 apartments will be built. This year, it is planned to build 183 kilometers of water and sewer networks, as well as 8 water structures.

The meeting also discussed issues of youth employment and organization of their leisure. The task was set to cover young people with the Youth Business program, and university graduates with the Step into the Future program, providing them with support in entrepreneurship and employment.

– As you can see, many tasks have been outlined in Kashkadarya. I am confident that the hard-working, sincere and noble residents of this region, who inherited courage, fortitude and generosity from their great ancestor Amir Temur, will achieve all their goals. I believe that the people of Kashkadarya will be at the forefront of our reforms, – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

At the end of the meeting, the khokims of the region and districts, industry leaders made reports on the issues discussed, an open dialogue with entrepreneurs and representatives of the public took place.