Measures of economic development and job creation in the Republic of Karakalpakstan were discussed

On January 10, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting at which the ongoing work was analyzed and further tasks for the socio-economic development of the Republic of Karakalpakstan were identified.

Special attention is paid to the development of the economy of Karakalpakstan and improving the quality of life of its population. Unprecedented changes have taken place in the region over the past seven years. The Republic, 12 of whose 15 districts were subsidized, began to provide revenues to its budget. In particular, more than 5.3 thousand projects were implemented due to investments worth 15 trillion soums. Plantations with an area of 1.8 million hectares have been created on the dried-up bottom of the Aral Sea. The living conditions of 51 thousand families have been improved, construction and repair work has been carried out in 401 mahalla. The standard of living of the population has increased.

In Karakalpakstan, business benefits and opportunities are provided that are not available in any other region. In particular, in order to create an attractive business environment and favorable conditions for residents of the region, taxes on profits, turnover, land and property have been reduced by 2 times, and the social tax rate has been set at 1 percent. As a result, 500 billion soums per year remain at the disposal of entrepreneurs.

To raise this work to a new level, over the past two years, 7 decrees and resolutions have been adopted on the development of industry, agriculture and entrepreneurship, and improvement of the infrastructure of mahallas in Karakalpakstan. 400 million US dollars and 250 billion soums have been allocated for these purposes.

In the cities and districts of the Aral Sea region, the implementation of many projects in cooperation with economic sectors and regions continues.

The meeting reviewed the work done in 2023 and discussed the tasks for 2024.

Today, the population of Karakalpakstan has exceeded 2 million people. Every year, 50,000 citizens enter the labor market. The Head of our state drew attention to the need to teach them modern professions, provide them with jobs and decent conditions.

To this end, large-scale work is planned for the current year. In particular, it is planned to increase the volume of industrial production to 23 trillion soums, as well as create production capacities for 2 trillion soums. 24 major projects worth 5 trillion soums will be launched in the textile industry, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals and the construction materials sector.

In 2024, it is planned to attract 2 billion 100 million dollars of foreign investment to the region. Due to this, 206 projects will be implemented in industry, 240 in the service sector, 34 in agriculture, and about 13 thousand high-income jobs will be created.

There is a positive trend in the development of production, agriculture, tourism and other services in Karakalpakstan. It was noted that it is necessary to effectively take advantage of this opportunity and bring exports to $ 160 million.

A foreign grant will be attracted to increase agricultural yields. Water-saving technologies will be implemented on 6 thousand hectares of land, and 31 thousand hectares will be leveled with lasers.

Measures are planned to repair the infrastructure of mahallas and houses of the population. 2.3 billion soums will be allocated for the treatment of people in need of high-tech medical services.

In addition, 182 billion soums will be allocated to projects based on citizens' initiatives, as well as 40 billion soums from the local budget this year. 10 trillion soums will be allocated for projects within the framework of programs to support small and medium-sized businesses.

The President stressed that plans to create new jobs in the region do not correspond to the existing potential, and pointed to additional opportunities.

For example, in 51 industrial zones, 71 projects worth 775 billion soums can be launched and 1 thousand jobs created. Or you can put 10 thousand hectares of vacant land up for auction and attract 20 thousand entrepreneurs. This means 50 thousand jobs. There is also an opportunity to develop non-metallic deposits and employ 10 thousand people through projects worth 7.5 trillion soums.

The Head of State noted that tourism is one of the great reserves in this regard. The task is to develop a program for the development of tourism in Karakalpakstan, especially ecological, ethnographic, pilgrimage destinations, organize a tourist cluster and attract foreign experts to the field. It is pointed out the need to develop the Nukus airport and increase air transportation, build new hotels, modernize museums, and expand roadside services.

The importance of attracting specialists from Germany, South Korea, Japan and Turkey to teach young people 17 types of in-demand skills, such as foreign languages, information technology, design, and hotel service, was noted.

The responsible persons noted that there are all possibilities for turning Karakalpakstan into an unemployment-free region, and reported on the measures that will be taken in this direction.