President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the work of officials responsible for reducing the level of poverty in 159 districts and cities across the country. He noted that despite the availability of allocated resources and similar opportunities, the effectiveness of programs at the local level shows significant differences.
Since the beginning of this year, the number of citizens in need of assistance has decreased from 2.2 million to 1.5 million people. Furthermore, 49 districts and 3,429 mahallas are gradually transforming into areas free from unemployment and poverty. However, the results achieved in the remaining 159 districts and cities, as well as in 5,536 mahallas, were deemed insufficient.
The head of state specifically expressed concerns about how the activities of the 'mahalla seven' are organized. According to him, managers responsible for this work often fail to provide clear instructions to local staff, and some specialists show an unwillingness to take responsibility.
It was noted that over the past three years, 314 trillion soums in credit funds have been directed to mahallas to support entrepreneurial initiatives. Nevertheless, the president emphasized that the impact of these measures on poverty reduction is not felt in all regions.
Earlier reports indicated that at the end of the first half of the year, the unemployment and poverty rate in Uzbekistan reached 4.5%. Additionally, the status of territories completely free from poverty was granted to 2,700 mahallas.