Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A regular meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held on 28 May 2019. The deputies reviewed a report on the execution of the State budget and budgets of state trust funds of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2018, submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

It should be noted that the presented report was tentatively reviewed by the Committee on Budget and Economic Reforms, factions of political parties and the deputy group from the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, as well as at meetings of parliamentary committees.

The report of the Cabinet of Ministers on the implementation of the State budget and budgets of state trust funds of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2018 was presented by the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov.

As noted at the meeting, the consistent implementation of the tasks identified in the Action Strategy for the five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017–2021, fundamental reforming of the socio-economic sphere in 2018 ensured stable development and sustainable economic growth. It was emphasized that the measures taken to further deepen the liberalization of monetary policy and foreign trade activities served to attract foreign investment in the country’s economy, increase export potential, create industries based on modern technologies, and develop small businesses and private entrepreneurship.

As a result, in 2018, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country made up 407.5 trillion soums, and compared with 2017 it increased by 5.1 percent. The growth of GDP was promoted by the industrial sector (2.1 percent). The service sector growth was 1.8 percent. Compared to last year, the volume of construction work increased by 9.9 percent, and in absolute GDP growth the positive contribution of the construction industry was estimated at 0.5 percent. In agriculture, forestry and fisheries there was an increase of 0.3 percent. The impact of this sector of the economy on the absolute GDP growth rate was 0.1 percent.

It was emphasized that during the execution of the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2018, special attention was paid to the financing of measures aimed at the further development of the social sphere, raising the standard of living of the population and providing social protection for citizens. In particular, during the reporting period, 53.8 percent of the State budget expenditures were spent on social protection of the population, that is, 10.5 percent in relation to GDP.

In 2018, total incomes of the population reached 286.3 trillion soums and exceeded the figures for 2017 by 110.3 percent. At the end of the year, the foreign trade turnover in the republic made up 33.8 billion US dollars, compared to 2017, increased by 27.3 percent.

In 2018, revenues to the state budget made up 79 trillion 99 billion soums, increased by 59.2 percent compared to 2017, and made 16.6 trillion soums (+26.6 percent), which exceeds the relative forecast of 62 trillion 500 billion soums . In turn, the share of the State budget revenues in GDP was 19.4 percent.

The deputies noted that a number of laws, decrees and resolutions of the President, state programs to improve the legal framework for the creation and further liberalization of the economy on a completely new basis, have now been successfully put into practice, and large-scale work is being carried out to implement the latest in essence and content of reforms that meet global requirements in the field of economics.

As a result of the execution of decrees and resolutions of the head of our state dated June 7, 2017, aimed at expanding the powers of local government bodies and increasing their responsibility for generating local budget revenues, last year the revenue part of local budgets was fulfilled with 24.3 percent surplus compared to the forecast.

Representatives of the Adolat Social Democratic Party’s faction appreciated the fact that the health sector, as one of the main directions in the party’s program, in 2018 9.4 trillion soums were allocated from the State budget, which is 21.9 percent of funds allocated for social spending. However, the presence of some shortcomings in the field was also emphasized. In particular, the subject of equitable dissatisfaction among members of the faction was the failure to absorb 121.7 billion soums of funds planned in light of the execution of documents adopted by the President of the country, while in this direction the funds allocated from the State budget increase every year. Members of the faction noted that the failure to implement budgetary funds within the established deadlines affects the result of reforms in the system, therefore, timely and positive resolution of such issues is necessary. Along with this, the relevance of resolving the issues identified by the deputies in the field as they fully ensured the emergency medical services, the creation of a unified electronic medical card of citizens, and the completion of the Electronic Polyclinic automated information system in all regions was emphasized.

Members of the faction of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan noted that the report on the execution of the State budget in 2018 paid special attention to financing measures to support the social sphere, improve living standards and ensure social protection of the population. During the reporting period, funding for social spending from the State budget allocated funds in the amount of 42.88 trillion soums, or 53.8 percent of total spending, which is in the interests of the electorate of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan