September 13, 10:15UzDaily

Minister states that Uzbekistan can eliminate poverty and unemployment by the end of the year

The Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction, Botir Zakhidov, reported that Uzbekistan is capable of becoming a country free from unemployment and poverty, provided that adopted resolutions and decrees are fully implemented.

Previously, on September 9, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held an expanded meeting dedicated to regional measures for job creation and increasing household incomes, as reported by the President of Uzbekistan's press service.

In an interview with the O’zbekiston 24 channel, Zakhidov stated that over the past three days, a new employment procedure has covered 100,000 households, including 46,000 low-income families.

Instructions defining tasks and work processes, including members of the so-called 'seven', were developed for responsible officials in every mahalla. In accordance with the new guidelines, 12,000 employees completed online training: 9,000 mahalla hokim assistants and 3,000 mahalla bank employees.

The work began by identifying citizens who potentially have low incomes and are unemployed and need to increase their earnings. Their preferences, aspirations, and actual capabilities were assessed through an electronic questionnaire.

Based on the survey results, support measures were determined for members of low-income families, which include employment, involvement in entrepreneurship, referral to specific vacancies, or vocational training. It is planned that about 13,000 people will be engaged in entrepreneurial activities, and another 12,000 will be directed to specific vacancies.

Meetings were held with 162 entrepreneurs across all districts, and 48 job fairs were organized.

Zakhidov noted that the six-day work week showed that existing opportunities are not being utilized to their full potential. According to the minister, previous efforts were primarily focused on increasing income.

After the meeting, the President set tasks in eight areas. He emphasized the need to focus not only on increasing household incomes but also on professional counseling.

Zakhidov concluded: 'The full implementation of adopted resolutions and decrees will allow us to transform our republic into a region free from poverty and unemployment by the end of the year.'

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podrobno.uzSeptember 3, 10:27

Significant Disparity in Poverty Reduction Program Effectiveness Identified in Uzbekistan Across Regions

A substantial heterogeneity in the effectiveness of applying credit resources aimed at combating poverty has been discovered across different regions of Uzbekistan. It was established that in some districts, a significantly larger number of citizens were successfully lifted out of poverty despite similar levels of financial support.

Meeting Details

Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented this information during a meeting dedicated to advancing the poverty reduction and income increase program to a new stage. Over the past year, 86 thousand small enterprises were established in the regions; however, the proportion that ceased operations reached 17%, totaling 15 thousand units. Furthermore, 62 thousand citizens who received bank loans faced difficulties in running their businesses and are experiencing problems with debt repayment.

Comparison of Indicators in Districts

The most obvious differences are observed when comparing individual districts. Sharof-Rashidovsky and Karshinsky districts each received 2.3 trillion soms. In Sharof-Rashidovsky district, 30 thousand people were lifted out of poverty, corresponding to an average indicator of 78 million soms per resident. In Karshinsky district, this figure was 13 thousand people, while the expenditure per person reached 176 million soms.

The situation in Kamashinsky and Psakent districts demonstrates an even greater contrast. Both districts received 1.1 trillion soms, but 28 thousand people were lifted out of poverty in Kamashinsky district, whereas only 4.5 thousand were in Psakent. This implies that approximately 250 million soms in credit funds were allocated per person in Psakent.

President's Conclusions and Khorezm Region Experience

At the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that results vary greatly across regions even when conditions are identical. He noted that some leaders lack both the knowledge and the resolve for the competent use of available resources and the stimulation of job creation.

A report on the work in the Khorezm region was presented separately. Over two weeks, an assessment of the situation of 81 thousand low-income residents, belonging to 19 thousand families, was conducted there. The analysis showed that 12 thousand of these residents are unemployed, and 10 thousand have a low income level. Additionally, local businesses require about 9.5 thousand employees.

According to state structures' estimates, it is possible to increase the income of 10–15 thousand representatives of poor families due to the availability of vacancies and vocational training programs. Previously, the Hokim of Bukhara region, Botir Zaripov, stated plans for the complete elimination of poverty in the region by the end of 2026.