29.04.2022

On April 29, a videoconferencing on the measures to further strengthen the social protection of vulnerable segments of the population was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

In the new Development Strategy of Uzbekistan, support for categories of the population in need of support, as well as poverty eradication are identified as a priority of state policy based on the principles of social justice. In fact, this is a logical continuation of the ongoing work on building a state that cares about the people.

In recent years, a new system of assistance to those in need has been created. As part of this, about 1.5 thousand attendees of Mercy homes were adopted into families, 116 family orphanages were organized, the conditions were created for the upbringing of about 700 boys and girls at family conditions.

Last year, 757 orphans were provided with housing. At the expense of the state, complex surgery operations were carried out for 4 thousand children.

The scale of support for citizens with disabilities has also expanded. In particular, last year about 42 thousand people received rehabilitation and prosthetic and orthopedic products, 555 children with hearing impairment were fitted with cochlear implants, 4 thousand blind children were given a Braille alphabet.

A new system has been introduced: mothers of about 35 thousand children in need of care have started to receive benefits in the amount of 500 thousand Uzbek soums.

In addition, the disabled children, as well as persons with disabilities of the first and second groups are exempt from paying income tax on monthly wages in the amount of up to 2.5 million Uzbek soums. The amount of social tax paid by employers for employees with disabilities is fully compensated from the budget.

Along with this, the minimum amount of pensions and benefits has been increased by 40% at once. In general, the number of recipients of benefits increased from 466 thousand in 2016 to 1 million 860 thousand in 2022.

A large number of people have been supported through charity foundations and public initiatives.

The meeting has identified the further measures to expand these good deeds, strengthen the atmosphere of attention and care in our society.

There are more than 3 million representatives of the elderly in our country. With the creation of the Ministry for Support of Makhalla and the Family, a system of caring for them has been built.

At the meeting it was underscored that the costs of the elderly for annual treatment at sanatoriums, the expenditures of the elderly with low-income for the purchase of medicines and orthopedic products, surgical operations will be covered by the state.

A number of benefits shall be introduced for the elderly to visit sports facilities, theaters and museums, and travel around the country.

In order to provide material support to those in need, a Presidential Decree was signed today on increasing the amount of pensions and benefits by 12% from May 1.

This shall bring additional money to the budget of 4.1 million households. 4 trillion Uzbek soums shall be allocated to finance pensions and benefits this year.

In addition, the pensions for 725 thousand people receiving a minimum pension will be increased by 14%.

In addition, on the eve of May 9, the participants of the war will receive a one-time monetary reward in the amount of 15 million Uzbek soums.

The expansion of the support system for people with disabilities in need has been announced. In particular, from May 1, the enterprises with employees with disabilities shall receive a subsidy of 400 thousand Uzbek soums for each such employee for 6 months.

The subsidies will also be given to persons with disabilities self-employed and artisans for the purchase of tools and equipment. They will be trained in professions paid for by state. The Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations has been given the appropriate instruction.

The non-governmental organizations of persons with disabilities, their territorial branches shall be able to receive state subsidies for the payment of salaries to their employees.

In order to cover blind and visually impaired children with full education, 850 additional classes and 1.2 thousand places in dormitories shall be created at the schools of «Nurli Maskan» from the new academic year. Based on the state order, the libraries of these schools will be provided with textbooks and manuals, fiction in Braille.

The responsible ministries are tasked with gradually organizing one-year preparatory groups for blind children of kindergarten age.

In addition, more than 3 thousand hearing-impaired children will be provided with modern hearing aids. A 50% salary supplement will be introduced for all employees of special boarding schools.

Annually 108 boarding schools for children with disabilities shall be provided with more than 20 thousand books of special literature.

The care about the elderly with disabilities will increase. For example, now there are no payments for about a thousand people who do not have work experience and live in «Sakhovat» Houses (homes for the elderly). From now on, they will also be paid money for personal expenses in the amount of 20% of the old-age allowance.

Currently, disability pensions are calculated based on work experience and previous salary. This directly affects the incomes of more than 75 thousand working people with disabilities.

Now their pensions will be recalculated every two years and indexed depending on the length of service and salary. An additional 300 billion Uzbek soums will be allocated for these purposes.

The procedure for allocating funds from the budget to family orphanages will also be simplified. Money for daily expenses will be transferred to the parents’ personal debit card.

In addition, the utility bills of family orphanages will be charged at the rates set for the population.

The practice of allocating 10 million Uzbek soums for the purchase of food and clothing for students who are orphans or left without parental care will also extend to non-state universities.

A separate program for 600 billion Uzbek soums will be adopted to repair and equip 376 Mercy, «Sakhovat» and «Muruvvat» Houses, special boarding schools.

The President has emphasized the need to strengthen the social protection of working women.

Today, the share of women in the non-governmental sector is 57%. Many employers prefer not to officially register women for work not to pay maternity benefits.

In this regard, from September 2022, the procedure for partial compensation of maternity payments from the state budget will be established. To this end, a Social Insurance Fund shall be created under the Ministry of Finance, which will receive 170 billion Uzbek soums from the budget this year.

Ramadan is a month of kindness and mercy. In this regard, the President signed a Decree pardoning 65 people who committed a crime by mistake, deeply realized their guilt and resolutely embarked on the path of correction. Thanks to this, they will be able to celebrate the ‘Eid al-Fitr’ at homes, with their families.

On the days of the holiday, as is customary among our people, the streets and courtyards will be landscaped, families without a breadwinner, lonely elderly and disabled people will be visited.

«We must not forget that easing concerns is, as the great thinker Alisher Navoiy said, the highest example of humanness, and working in accordance with this motto is not only our official, but also a moral duty», - the President said.

The officials in charge were instructed to fulfill the tasks of financial assistance defined at the meeting, as well as to visit the socially vulnerable segments of the population on holidays, give them gifts and monetary rewards.