15/06/2022 - 16:25 3869

Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction and the World Bank (WB) presented a new report on urbanization in Uzbekistan. The study analyzes the processes of urban development, their impact on the socio-economic development of regions, existing problems and opportunities for effective urbanization, as well as measures necessary for sustainable urbanization in the interests of increasing the well-being of the country's population.

On June 14 of this year, the presentation of the World Bank report "The time has come: how can Uzbekistan use urbanization as an engine of sustainable development?" was held. The event was attended by representatives of ministries and departments, local authorities, international organizations, the expert community and the media.

 The study presented to the audience was prepared by World Bank experts with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction and local authorities in a number of regions of the country. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) provided financial assistance in the implementation of this project.

In particular, the main provisions of the report were presented to the participants of the event, drawing attention to the fact that urbanization can become an engine for further socio-economic development of Uzbekistan. To make this a reality, it is necessary to continue taking systematic and step-by-step measures in this direction. As the population grows, cities are gradually transformed into "lively" innovation centers that contribute to improving the well-being of citizens. Thus, access to the formation of additional jobs and social services, including education and healthcare, is provided, and the sustainable and ecological development of the country is ensured.

To do this, it is necessary to create conditions under which people and financial resources could freely move to cities and economic sectors, and regional and local authorities would have the necessary capacity to manage urban development processes and provide the necessary services and infrastructure.

In countries where the process of urbanization has become the engine of economic growth and achieving above-average incomes (Brazil, Malaysia, Turkey), large cities have been leaders in productivity growth.

In 2030, it is planned to increase the level of urbanization of Uzbekistan to 60%. To do this, it is necessary to make growing cities productive, comfortable to live in and sustainable in terms of resource use. The World Bank's report considers the following priority areas for reforms:

- adoption of the national concept of urbanization development based on the analysis of objective data and a real assessment of the situation on the ground. The document should establish clear priorities of state policy;

- empowerment of local authorities through coordinated delegation of powers and resources, including provision of financial opportunities for long-term investments in infrastructure and provision of public services, and greater freedoms in the implementation of socio-economic development programs of territories;

- implementation of the most important structural reforms, including the development of land markets and modernization of urban planning. This will lay the foundation for the development of sustainable, productive and comfortable cities for people. Further actions to remove barriers to internal migration, including the liberalization of the residence permit system and housing reform, as well as improving the business environment in cities, will be important for the economy.

 More detailed

WB Report "The Time has Come: how can Uzbekistan use urbanization as an engine of sustainable development?" available online at the following link: https://cutt.ly/MJ29zwH.

Information service of the

Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction and World Bank