A new approach is being implemented in Uzbekistan to address poverty issues. As part of this initiative, special staffs will be established in the country's regions, and hokims will be required to dedicate about half of their working time to this work.
The new system was presented during a meeting dedicated to reducing poverty levels and increasing population incomes, which was held under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Staffs will be formed in every region and district of the country, headed by the hokims.
Heads of local administrations, as well as heads of districts and cities, together with economic structures, will dedicate three days a week exclusively to employment and poverty issues. Furthermore, banks and services assisting with job placement must support these local staffs.
The President also criticized the activities of mahalla bankers and hokim assistants. It was noted that many of them still require collateral when reviewing projects and lack sufficient understanding of financial mechanisms such as leasing, factoring, insurance, and guarantees.
Authorities acknowledged the existence of bureaucratic barriers in issuing loans, as well as the fact that repayment periods often do not correspond to the specifics of particular businesses. The decision was made to transfer the management of subsidized loans intended for family and youth entrepreneurship to the district staffs level.
Data on the study of low-income families in Khorezm was presented at the meeting. There are 48 thousand children living in these families, but there is no special program for their early professional training. More than 10 thousand women from such families work caring for children, while the share of children of these women attending preschool education does not exceed 75%. Responsible persons have been instructed to develop additional clubs for children from needy families and expand vocational training opportunities.
Previously, Shavkat Mirziyoyev had issued an instruction regarding the need to revise the vocational education system in the Khorezm region and link specialist training to the actual needs of the labor market. Since the beginning of the current year, 29 thousand people have been employed in the region.