Uzbekistan to allocate $ 5.5bn to support youth and promote public health

Uzbekistan will allocate some $ 5.5bn to support youth and promote public health. This was stated during a meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on February 10.

- We will achieve our goals despite the ongoing pandemic, in a time of growing crisis. No matter how difficult it may be, we must provide jobs for 500,000 youth, employ 200,000 women. Most importantly, we have to bring 300,000 citizens out of poverty. If the system of work is established properly, and if the state bodies fulfill their duties diligently and wisely, we, no doubt, can make drastic changes," said Mirziyoyev.

He outlined plans to improve roads, water and electricity supply in districts, even the most remote villages should have access to medicine and education.

- There are many leaders, many responsible ones, but there are no people who deal with the concerns of ordinary people. All solutions are feasible. But the most important shortcoming is that there is no control, ministers, mayors do not give their best," added Mirziyoyev.

He also emphasized the importance of the effective distribution of $570mn of credit funds allocated to support family businesses.

Some 226 large industrial and infrastructure facilities worth $23bn are set to be launched by the end of this year.

The government also plans to improve infrastructure in all regions of the country. It also plans to help the tourism sector to reload.  Around 25% of the cost of air tickets is to be reimbursed to air carriers. A new mechanism is to help increase the number of foreign tourists to 1.7mn by the end of 2021.

Orders were announced to reclaim 320,000 hectares of land, reconstruct pumping stations and introduce water-saving technologies. In order to ensure food security, a task was given to increase the production of meat and dairy products, eggs and fish, and to launch 1,500 new projects worth $570mn.