Priority tasks identified for reducing poverty and ensuring employment

On 19 November, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting to review the results of ongoing efforts and determine priority tasks for the coming year to reduce poverty and ensure employment.

It was noted that during the reporting period, the material and technical capabilities of regional and district hokims, as well as their staff, were significantly improved, enabling them to properly organize this work at the grassroots level, identify new initiatives by visiting every mahalla, and thereby improve people’s lives.

Since the beginning of this year, the unemployment rate has decreased to 4.9 percent (compared to 5.5 percent last year). In particular, unemployment in the cities of Bukhara, Kagan, Navoi, Zarafshan, Gazgan, Samarkand, and Shirin has fallen below 4 percent, approaching the level of natural unemployment for the first time.

A total of 302,000 low-income families have risen out of poverty. It is expected that by the end of the year, the poverty rate will decrease to 6 percent (down from 8.9 percent last year).

In Khavast, Mirzaabad, Oqoltin, Dustlik, Pahtakor, Farish, Bustan, Vabkent, Mirishkor, Mingbuloq, Uzun, and Pskent districts, the number of low-income families has decreased by 4.5 times. A total of 105,000 families who were previously in challenging circumstances have begun earning income.

This year, for the first time, 1,435 mahallas have been transformed into “poverty-free zones”.

At the same time, criticism was directed at the fact that some district hokims, despite having significant resources and funds at their disposal, allowed this work to drift, failing to offer people ready-made project proposals suited to their capabilities.

In this regard, it was decided to dismiss the hokim of Denau district and his first deputy, as well as the hokim of Chirakchi district and his first deputy, and to take appropriate measures in accordance with the established procedure against another 20 district hokims.

Overall, since the beginning of the year, 261 officials have been dismissed for irresponsible implementation of plans to reduce poverty and ensure employment, and disciplinary measures have been applied to an additional 492 individuals.

It was emphasized that next year, the main task of responsible officials will be to reduce poverty and unemployment to below 4.5 percent. To achieve this, 450 trillion UZS in loans will be directed into the economy, of which 140 trillion UZS will be allocated to small- and medium-scale projects at the mahalla level.

The Head of State outlined the main areas of work organization in this sphere.

The first is ensuring employment and income generation for the population through the construction sector.

Next year, the country plans to implement investment projects totaling 675 trillion UZS, of which 380 trillion UZS will be directed to the construction sector. It is intended to build multi-storey residential buildings comprising 140,000 apartments.

It was noted that each hokim can, by effectively using these opportunities, ensure employment for at least 20-25 thousand people directly in the construction sector and an additional 10 thousand through the infrastructure created around it.

The main innovation is that for the first time in 2026, 20 trillion UZS intended for the development of mahalla infrastructure will be allocated directly to regional budgets.

The second area of focus is increasing the number of projects in the services sector to ensure employment for the population.

It was emphasized that this sector ensures high growth rates in the country. At the same time, it was noted that regional and district hokims are not fully utilizing tourism opportunities, which significantly influence the dynamics of the services sector and create jobs and increase household incomes.

By improving the infrastructure of 150 mahallas with high tourism potential, it is possible to increase service volume to 10 trillion UZS and employ 45,000 people in the trade and service sectors.

Accordingly, next year each of these 150 mahallas will receive between 3 and 5 billion UZS for infrastructure development. District banks will issue concessional loans of up to 150 million UZS for the construction of guest houses in these localities.

The importance of increasing family incomes in border and enclave districts was also stressed, particularly through repairing roads leading to them, constructing guest houses, recreation areas, and trade and service facilities. 1 trillion UZS will be allocated to implement projects to build recreational and service facilities in these settlements.

In addition, 500 settlements have been selected for the development of service facilities along rivers and roads. District banks will provide loans of up to 1 billion UZS for projects in these areas, on the condition that at least five permanent jobs are created.

This year alone, 255 round-the-clock streets have been commissioned. A total of 11,000 service facilities have begun operating on these streets, employing around 27,000 residents. Next year, another 200 such streets are planned for creation.

Each street received up to 4 billion UZS for its development, provided that hokims prepared a clear roadmap and began work within one month.

Enterprises that have established their own brands in public catering, trade, and services intend to open 100-150 branches nationwide.

Regional administrations have been instructed to support national brands in this effort. If companies express readiness to train employees for a newly opening branch independently, the training costs will be covered by the Employment Fund. To support brands wishing to expand their branch networks, new financial instruments will be introduced, with 500 billion UZS allocated for this purpose in 2026.

The third direction is increasing the number of permanent jobs through the implementation of industrial projects.

Next year, enterprises in the regions plan to produce industrial goods worth $52 billion. It was noted that responsible officials must implement 3,500 projects totaling $22 billion in local industrial sectors, enabling the creation of 130,000 permanent jobs.

Currently, 400 mahallas specialize in furniture production, handicrafts, and sewing. If entrepreneurs are provided with additional space, each of them can employ another 5-10 people.

In this regard, district hokims have been instructed to open 50 micro-industrial centers next year in such specialized mahallas, ensuring employment for 10,000 people. A total of 200 billion UZS will be allocated for the infrastructure of these centers.

The fourth direction is increasing household income through agriculture.

As part of poverty reduction efforts, 232,000 hectares of land were allocated to the population, enabling 770,000 people to obtain a source of income. However, one-third of them still earn low incomes due to a lack of experience, poor-quality seeds, and difficulties in marketing their products.

In this regard, it was instructed to extend the experience of the Household Farming School in Termez district to all regions by establishing at least five such schools in each region to train land-leasing residents in cultivating high-income crops. To ensure guaranteed sales of products grown on leased land, export cooperatives will be created.

The fifth direction is strengthening social protection for vulnerable families.

Starting next year, the project “Equal Opportunities – Inclusive Employment” will be implemented, under which 40,000 persons with disabilities are expected to be employed. They will be provided with interest-free loans of up to 30 million UZS from the Employment Fund.

For families at risk of falling back into poverty, social support and benefits will be maintained. For 6 months, they will continue to receive material assistance and child allowances, compensation for kindergarten and extracurricular expenses, as well as 110 types of social services and assistance for 12 months, including referrals for medical treatment.

In addition, families at high risk of poverty due to difficult life circumstances will be identified in advance and provided with targeted assistance.

Issues related to employment formalization were also addressed.

“We are initiating major goals with concrete financing. Suppose ministers, their regional departments and divisions, regional and district hokims, and, most importantly, the ‘mahalla of seven’, do not actively engage in this work. In that case, no change will occur”, said the Head of State.

The Prime Minister was instructed to set the tasks identified at the meeting as key performance indicators (KPIs) for ministers and hokims for 2026.

Reports from regional and sectoral leaders, as well as opinions from entrepreneurs, were heard during the meeting.

UzA