26.05.2022

On May 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a videoconferencing on the measures for organizing the special economic and small industrial zones in the regions and providing them with necessary infrastructure.

The industrial zones, due to the concentration of production facilities at one place and unified access to communications, are important for the development of the industry. Over the past five years, 19 free economic zones and more than 400 small industrial zones have been organized in the country, and over a thousand projects have been implemented. As a result, 100,000 jobs were created and manufacturing products for 45 trillion Uzbek soums per year have been established. In addition, the industrial zone enterprises annually export products for $750 million and more than 1 trillion Uzbek soums of tax revenue.

Another important aspect is that industry comes to every district, remote and hard-to-reach areas. In particular, 205 new enterprises were launched at 11 districts where there were no industrial productions at all.

At the same time, there is a largely unrealized potential and there are several shortcomings. The master plans of some small industrial zones have not yet been approved. Some industrial zones are not fully provided with infrastructure, which is why the implementation of ready-made projects is delayed.

In addition, the entrepreneurs must go through a five-step procedure, and collect more than a dozen documents to start working in industrial zones.

The President has noted that solving these problems is important for the development of industry and job creation.

«The investments should be attracted to every district, every makhallas (the local neighborhood community areas) in a market economy», the President has said. «It can be implemented 2,000 projects, create 110,000 new jobs and export products for $1 billion this year. Our meeting today pursues these goals».

In this regard, the measures for providing 6,6 thousand hectares of vacant land in industrial zones with electricity, water, roads, and other conditions were discussed at the meeting. It is set to allocate 1,5 trillion Uzbek soums for this, or twice as much money as in 2021.

Many new projects have been developed in the regions for textile and painting production and processing of leather raw materials. They require centralized treatment facilities. In this regard, the instructions were given for the construction of modern treatment facilities on the sites allocated for such projects

As it is well known, the state finances the cost of provision of infrastructure for projects costing more than 200 billion Uzbek soums. The entrepreneurs from Bukhara, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Surkhandarya, Fergana and Tashkent regions used this opportunity and initiated projects for 630 million Uzbek soums on production of goods with high added value.

It was noted that this year 170 billion Uzbek soums will be allocated for such projects in the regions. The importance of visits by regional khokims (governors) to other regions and learning the experience of colleagues was pointed out.

It was announced that a new special industrial zone of 300 hectares in Samarkand shall be created, and orders have been given to create favorable conditions for businesses and form import-substitution and export-oriented projects.

Separately, the President has touched upon the issue of bureaucracy in the establishment of activities in industrial zones. The measures have been defined to simplify this procedure. Thus, the authority for the examination of projects implemented in free economic zones will be transferred to the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. The procedure for obtaining the conclusion of the Center of comprehensive expertise of projects and import contracts for the application of privileges in imports shall be canceled.

Currently, the land plots in industrial zones are put up for auction by khokimiyats (governors’ and mayors’ offices). Henceforth, the land plots will be put up by industrial zone directorates with the determination of investment obligations. It will also be allowed to privatize facilities purchased at the bids after full implementation of investment obligations.

This will reduce the number of stages in the process of placement of projects in industrial zones, and the terms will be reduced from 3 to 1 month.

The President has also instructed to solve the issues related to the registration of rights to land and buildings of entrepreneurs, who have been working in small industrial zones for many years.

It was noted that in order to ensure the exports of products, their compliance with international standards and requirements of consumers, it is necessary to transfer industrial zones to the management of foreign companies and attract foreign investors.

The khokims (governors) reported on the issues discussed at the meeting and entrepreneurs expressed their proposals