06/04/2020 - 17:45 6719

At the initiative of the President of the country, the Ministry of Economy and Industry was transformed into the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction.

This decision is based on a number of factors. The necessity to create a solid and transparent mechanism economy management with a focus on results in the context of liberalization and widespread adoption of market approaches is one of the factors. It is required that a modern institutional system for swift identification and solution of existing problems be formed, ensuring unity in the activities of all relevant structures.

The primary tasks of the new ministry touch upon the following 10 key areas:

- development, coordination and implementation of macroeconomic policies;

- poverty reduction;

- socio-economic development of territories;

- entrepreneurship development;

- development of priority industries and maintenance of a unified industrial policy;

- Transformation of enterprises with state participation;

- creation and implementation of state investment policy;

- infrastructure development and urbanization policies implementation;

- enhancement of the business environment and the country's position in international ratings;

- further enhancement of economic ties with the world community.

Over the next month, employees of the new agency and the Ministry for mahalla and family support will investigate the living conditions and social status of all compatriots.They will form primary lists of representatives of socially vulnerable segments of the population and passports of citizens' gatherings based on the compiled data. It is immediately necessary to think over and begin to implement measures to provide them with the necessary assistance. This year, the Ministry will allocate 100 billion sums from the Anti-Crisis Fund to finance measures for poverty reduction. The necessary funds for the above-mentioned purposes will subsequently be laid in the budget.

A month was given to prepare a draft government decree on attracting the poor and unemployed, particularly women and youth, to entrepreneurship, increase their labor activity and vocational training.

Within 2 months, a draft President’s decree should be submitted on the radical improvement of the system for state reserves management and mechanisms to prevent a sharp increase in prices.

Until October 1, the ministry, together with other relevant agencies, will submit four key documents for consideration: the Concept of socio-economic development and the Industry Development Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030, the Poverty Reduction Program, as well as the draft decree of the head of state on introducing a minimum consumer basket and a subsistence minimum in all regions since 2021. The remaining authorities will conduct an inventory of all documents for the future, taking into account the targeted parameters of the mentioned concept until August 1.

All medium and long-term concepts, strategies and programs for the development of industries and territories should now be coordinated with the new ministry. It should analyze the adopted socio-economic documents in terms of the impact on poverty. The Ministry will assist in coordination of activities in the areas of competition and demonopolization support, streamlining land relations, adopting technical regulations, conducting geological work, managing state assets and improving the mechanism of public-private partnerships. Along with the Ministry of Justice, it will be responsible for the implementation of administrative reform.

A number of existing and new institutions will operate within the Ministry:

- The Agency for development of small business and entrepreneurship will be transformed into the Agency for entrepreneurship development with branches in all regions, cities and districts.

- The Higher school of business and entrepreneurship will be established on the basis of the Republican Higher school of business and management named after Abu Rayhan Beruni at the National agency for project management and the Republican center for entrepreneurship education under the Chamber of commerce.

- The structure of the Institute for forecasting and macroeconomic research and the Center for research of industrial markets and labor efficiency in production is to be updated. State Unitary Enterprise “Editorial of the magazine“ Iqtisodiyot: tahlillar va prognozlar ”at the institute is being liquidated, and the institution itself will continue to issue the publication.

- The urbanization agency is being liquidated with the transfer of its functions to the Ministry.