Projects in the water sector and pharmaceutical industry are considered

On April 18, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting to discuss projects implemented in the water sector and pharmaceuticals, as well as tasks for the future.

At the beginning, 4 main problems in the field of water resources management were analyzed - water losses in channels, high energy consumption of pumping stations, limited water reserves and insufficient level of implementation of water-saving technologies.

In particular, due to the low efficiency of the channels and large water losses in the internal networks, agriculture receives less than $ 4 billion 800 million per year.

In this regard, it is planned to introduce a pipeline irrigation system in the Pakhtakor district of the Jizzakh region as an experiment.

The Head of our state, having heard the proposals of the initiator of this project, supported the initiative and stressed the need for similar work in Kashkadarya, Namangan, Syrdarya regions, where the highest water supply costs.

It was instructed to take measures to reduce costs within the framework of the project, applying a scientific approach, to develop a two-year program for the introduction of a pipeline irrigation system.

Water is delivered to remote fields using pumping stations. Most of them are outdated and consume a lot of energy. Not a single major pumping station has yet been converted to alternative energy sources. Many entrepreneurs are interested in this, but their promising projects are not being implemented, as there are no clear conditions. As a result, large funds from the budget are spent on feeding the pumps.

In this regard, instructions were given on the transfer of pumping stations to entrepreneurs on the terms of private partnership and the introduction of alternative energy sources. Scientists of the Tashkent Irrigation Institute will be involved in this, effective projects will receive loans on preferential terms.

In conditions of water shortage in our region, every year 1 billion cubic meters of mudflow flows away in vain.

The President pointed out the possibility of accumulation of mudflow waters in small reservoirs, the need to support initiatives in this direction.

$100 million will be raised for the relevant projects. The lands put into circulation as a result of irrigation with accumulated water will be provided to entrepreneurs who have created reservoirs for free use for a long time.

Currently, 450 thousand hectares or 15 percent of irrigated areas have been leveled with laser technologies. If such land is doubled, another 900 million cubic meters of water will be saved, and water supply will be improved on an additional 200,000 hectares.

In this regard, it is determined that a thousand laser levelers will be delivered this year, clusters will establish laser leveling services for farmers.

In recent years, drip and sprinkler irrigation technologies have been introduced on 400 thousand hectares. This year, work has begun on another 80 thousand hectares.

In order to further stimulate the introduction of these technologies, in accordance with the resolution signed on April 1 of this year, the amount of subsidies for each hectare of grain and vegetable fields where a water-saving system has been introduced has been increased from 1 million soums to 8 million soums. The bank loan rate for farmers was set at 17 percent.

The importance of bringing these opportunities to farmers and providing them with financial support was noted. The task is to create a separate center for the formation of new water-saving projects at Agrobank and attract qualified specialists from abroad.

Projects in the pharmaceutical industry were also considered at the meeting.

Over the past six years, 177 projects worth $527 million have been launched in this area. Foreign investments have increased 9 times, and 35 enterprises have implemented the international GMP standard. As a result, production increased 3 times, exports - 5 times.

However, due to many problems related to the search for a market, quality and competition, the volume of production decreased slightly last year, while imports increased.

In this regard, the meeting discussed the development of additional projects in the field of pharmaceuticals and enterprise support.

It was noted that it is planned to implement 207 projects totaling $ 725 million, 68 of them are scheduled to be launched this year.

The Head of State stressed the need to ease the credit burden on entrepreneurs. The entry of Asakabank into projects as an investor with a participation share of up to 25 percent has been determined. Long-term credit resources in the amount of $300 million will be attracted to finance localization projects and provide working capital. A center for pharmaceutical projects will be opened at the bank, which will help entrepreneurs.

The possibility of mastering the production of 400 types of new products and replacing imports by $ 670 million by supporting enterprises that are not operating at full capacity was noted. For this purpose, revolving loans of up to $ 1 million will be provided to enterprises for a period of 18 months, and loans of up to $ 2 million will be provided to exporters secured by revenue insurance.

The possibility of production in our country of medicines and substances necessary in oncology and oncohematology on the basis of foreign technology is considered. The task is to expand the number of enterprises that meet the requirements of the GMP standard.

It was instructed to accelerate the implementation of projects on the territory of the Tashkent pharmaceutical cluster.