Plans on developing Syrdarya region’s economy reviewed

In recent years, the region has seen some progress in areas such as energy, construction and entrepreneurship. As a result of the Head of State's visit to Saykhunabad district last year, a new model of support for homestead farms and small business projects was introduced.

However, insufficient initiative on the part of leaders constrains the development of industry, trade and services. In particular, the share of the service sector in the economy of Syrdarya region remains the lowest in the country. The poverty rate exceeds 11 percent, the number of unemployed reaches 22 thousand people.

Today, the world economic conditions are changing rapidly. In such a situation, competitive advantage is gained by those regions that actively study trends, seek new opportunities and effectively utilize internal resources.

To this end, proposals have been developed to increase investment and improve the business environment in Syrdarya region, reduce poverty, and effectively utilize the transit potential of the region.

In particular, it is planned to organize industrial zones with a total area of almost 900 hectares. This will allow attracting $5 billion of investments and creating more than 20 thousand new jobs. The projects will be located in Syrdarya, Shirin, Bayavut, Khavast, Mirzaabad, Gulistan, Akaltyn and Sardoba.

Geographically, the region is located in the central part of Uzbekistan, where the international highways M-39, M-34, A-373 and A-376 intersect, along which 311 thousand vehicles pass per day.

Entrepreneurs are ready to open hundreds of trade and service points along these roads.    

In general, it is planned to create 500 thousand square meters of trade and service areas, which will provide employment for 50 thousand people.

Due to favorable soil and climatic conditions, the region has a high potential for growing cotton, rice, fruit and vegetable crops and melons. In this regard, the areas for potatoes, onions, raspberries, currants and cherries will be expanded. Processing enterprises and exporters will be assigned to the homestead plots, field margins and plots adjacent to canals with the total area of 38 thousand hectares.

Besides, in eight districts of the region it is planned to transfer 25 thousand hectares of lands with low profitability for rice cultivation. To support rice farms, they will be allowed to export 50 percent of their harvest.

There are more than a thousand houses built more than 50 years ago in the region. Within the framework of the renovation program it is planned to build modern residential complexes with a total capacity of 15 thousand apartments in their place. The positive experience of Margilan city and Dustlik district will be studied.

Tax and customs privileges will be provided to developers to ensure the availability of new housing. Additionally, $100 million will be allocated for modernization of roads, power grids, housing, irrigation infrastructure, renovation of kindergartens, schools and other social facilities in the region.

It was instructed to allocate the necessary funds and complete the work on uninterrupted supply of drinking water to the city of Gulistan by July 1 this year. Proposals to expand the territory of the cities of Gulistan and Shirin to accelerate the processes of urbanization were approved. 

In general, due to the considered opportunities, it is planned to attract $2 billion of investments this year, increase the export volume up to $500 million. As a result, it is expected that more than 16 thousand new jobs will be created and the poverty rate will be reduced to 7.4 percent.