Tashkent aims to attract $9 billion in investments by 2026

The State Security Service of Uzbekistan reported the discovery of a large batch of goods allegedly illegally imported into the country. This find was made by employees of the State Security Service and the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan.

The truck contained cigarettes, other tobacco products, medicines, medical devices, mobile phones, and other goods whose details did not match the transit declaration and accompanying documents.

The truck, which arrived from Bukhara region and had previously attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies, was inspected at a customs warehouse in the Chilnazar district of Tashkent. During the inspection, 2,500 medical devices, 13,800 packages of medicine, and 880 dietary supplements were found.

Additionally, the truck held 273,400 packs of cigarettes and other tobacco products, 3,100 e-cigarettes, about 8,600 mobile phones, 19 tablets, and 52 items of perfumery. Law enforcement officers also discovered over 72,500 units of construction tools and equipment, the actual quantity and characteristics of which did not correspond to the data in the accompanying documents.

According to the State Security Service, the owner of the truck and two residents of Tashkent imported these goods from a neighboring country using forged customs documents. A criminal case has been initiated against the three individuals under Part 2 of Article 182 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, concerning violations of customs legislation on a particularly large scale. This article provides for a maximum prison term of up to eight years. The investigation is ongoing.

The Mayor of Tashkent, Shavkat Umurzakov, approved the project for the construction of the Bektemir Business Center, which will become a multifunctional center in the Bektemir district of the capital. The relevant decision was published on August 18 on the E-qaror portal.

This project will cover territories along Bektemir Avenue in the Bektemir and Abay mahallas, as well as a plot on the Tashkent ring road in the Zabardast mahalla. The creation of a modern architectural complex is planned in these areas.

The client for the project has been designated as the Olmazor Business Center Construction and Operation Department under the Tashkent administration. The Bektemir district administration has been instructed to conduct an inventory of buildings and structures on the allocated plots and determine the boundaries of the future complex. Together with the city administration and the department, a master plan and detailed territorial planning must be developed.

Plots for construction within the Bektemir Business Center will be sold through electronic online auctions according to the approved master plan. Revenues from the sale of these plots are planned to be directed towards creating internal engineering networks and infrastructure for the complex.

The Bektemir-City project was previously included in the Cabinet of Ministers' resolution on the comprehensive development of Tashkent, adopted on February 28. This document provides for the implementation of 31 projects within the city's comprehensive socio-economic development programs. The total cost of the projects on this list amounts to 16.2 billion US dollars. According to the document, the Bektemir Business Center will occupy an area of 58 hectares.

The complex is envisioned as a place that includes residential development, as well as service and entertainment zones. Investments in these areas are set at 1.2 billion US dollars.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan, plans to open a multidisciplinary Chinese International Technical College in partnership with China Oriental Education Holdings Limited. The institution's project has been submitted as a draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers for public discussion.

It is proposed that the college be located on the territory of the Republican College of Television and Radio in the Bektemir district. The building is planned to be provided for free targeted use for twenty years.

According to the draft document, China Oriental Education Holdings will invest 5.1 million US dollars in foreign direct investment to create this educational institution. The college will operate as a non-state organization. Among the proposed founders are China Oriental Education Holdings and the Agency for Vocational Education under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

Educational programs will be offered on a paid contract basis in various formats: full-time, evening, and combined. The college will train mid-level specialists and organize practical training for students based on orders from major Chinese automakers such as BYD, Chery, and JAC.

Graduates will be able to obtain both professional education diplomas recognized in Uzbekistan and international certificates. As part of the investment project, China Oriental Education Holdings will undertake the reconstruction of existing buildings, the construction of new workshops, and their equipping with modern equipment. Specialists from Uzbekistan and other countries are planned to be hired as teachers, and the company will also organize advanced training programs for local teachers in China.

This project provides for the cessation of admissions to the Republican College of Television and Radio starting from the 2027–2028 academic year. Students who are already studying by that time will be able to complete their education under current programs.

The draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers has not yet been approved, and the public discussion of the document will continue until September 1, 2026.