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A modern project for the mining and processing of granite, with a total cost of 30 million US dollars, will be implemented in the Nurot district of Navoi region.

Meeting on the Project

As part of this project, the head of the Nurot district, Azamat Faiziyev, held a meeting with the founders of the Chinese company 'Zhong Lei Mining'. During the discussion, the parties thoroughly discussed the stages of implementing the investment project, the progress of construction work, production capacities, and future plans.

Land Plots and Infrastructure

According to the project plan, 6.2 hectares of land have been allocated in the 'Nurota Granite Park' small industrial zone for the creation of the granite processing plant. Additionally, 10 hectares of land in the Suvliq district were allocated through an electronic auction to organize granite mining operations.

Economic Significance of the Project

The launch of this company's activities will allow for more efficient use of local natural resources, processing granite products with high added value, implementing modern technologies, and expanding the capacity for producing export construction materials. The most significant aspect is the creation of new jobs and ensuring population employment. An increase in the industrial potential and export volume of the Nurot district is also expected.

A training seminar was organized in Namangan by the Department of Currency Regulation and Control of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Relevant structural units and specialists from commercial banks involved in foreign economic activity and currency operations took part in the event.

Discussion of Currency Operation Issues

Employees of the Department of Currency Regulation and Control of the Central Bank discussed current problems faced by entrepreneurs conducting export operations to foreign countries and generating income for the country's economy. Opinions on practical difficulties and possible solutions were presented.

Regulatory Framework and Procedures

At the conference held at the Namangan Branch of the Central Bank, detailed explanations were provided regarding recent changes in legislation regulating currency operations. The procedure for applying regulatory legal acts, as well as issues concerning the acceptance and official documentation of damaged or unusable foreign currency banknotes, were also reviewed.

Dialogue with Business Representatives

As part of the seminar, an open dialogue was held with representatives of exporters and manufacturing enterprises in the Namangan region. During this meeting, information was provided about the favorable conditions created by the state, support measures for the industry, and changes being made to regulatory legal documents.

Proposals and problems raised by entrepreneurs during the discussion were carefully discussed, and corresponding recommendations for practical solutions were given. At the end of the seminar, participants received detailed answers to their questions, and the high significance of such practical events was noted.

The volume of non-performing loans (NPL) in the banking system of Uzbekistan continues to grow. According to data from the Central Bank, by the end of the first half of 2026, the volume of such loans reached 22.9 trillion sums. This figure is significantly higher than 18.1 trillion sums at the beginning of the year, an increase of 27 percent.

Dynamics of credit portfolio growth

Although the growth of the credit portfolio is considered a natural process, the faster rate of increase in non-performing loans raises concerns within the banking system. Over six months, the total credit portfolio grew from 604 trillion sums to 643 trillion sums, representing an increase of 6.4 percent. Meanwhile, non-performing loans grew almost four times faster—by 27 percent.

Structure of non-performing loans

The share of non-performing loans in the total credit portfolio has also increased. If this indicator was 2.99 percent at the beginning of the year, it reached 3.57 percent by the end of the half-year period. Analysts note that the majority of non-performing loans are concentrated in state-participating commercial banks. The volume of NPL in these banks increased from 12.8 trillion sums to 16.4 trillion sums over six months. This means that almost 72 percent of all non-performing loans in the country's banking system are concentrated specifically in state banks.

Comparison of banking segments

As a result, the share of non-performing loans in state banks rose from 3.17 percent to 3.89 percent. At the same time, the situation in banks with private and foreign capital remained relatively stable, with the NPL share increasing from 2.62 percent to 2.95 percent.

Leaders in growth and improvement of indicators

In terms of relative growth, the largest increase was recorded at TBC Bank, where the share of non-performing loans increased from 5.71 percent to 12.12 percent, becoming the highest in the system. Microcreditbank also demonstrated an increase in the NPL share from 4.41 percent to 7.86 percent, surpassing others in absolute volume of non-performing loans, which increased by almost 900 billion sums over six months.

Despite the overall trend of growth, some banks managed to improve the quality of their credit portfolio. The most significant positive changes were observed at Poytaht Bank, where the share of non-performing loans decreased from 24.40 percent to 7.32 percent. Kapitalbank reduced the volume of non-performing loans by almost 200 billion sums, bringing the NPL share down from 2.81 percent to 2.14 percent. Ipoteka Bank achieved a reduction in the volume of non-performing loans by 163 billion sums. Indicators also decreased at Hayot Bank (from 3.96 percent to 2.68 percent) and Ziraat Bank Uzbekistan (from 3.86 percent to 2.96 percent).

Furthermore, the share of non-performing loans remained at 0 percent in KDB Bank Uzbekistan and Octobank. Uzumbank, ApexBank, and Open Bank were among the banks with the lowest NPL rates, at 0.01 percent, 0.04 percent, and 0.35 percent, respectively.

Conclusions and prospects

In summary, the half-year results show that alongside the increase in lending volume, strengthening control over debt quality is required. Especially in state-participating banks, the high rate of growth of non-performing loans requires improving risk management mechanisms, credit assessment, and borrower engagement. Nevertheless, the successful experience of some banks in revitalizing their credit portfolios demonstrates the existence of effective approaches in this area.