Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting dedicated to the priority tasks for the comprehensive development of Andijan region.

The head of state noted that significant changes are taking place in Andijan today, which are truly admirable.

"Yesterday, I familiarized myself with the situation in the region and spoke with ordinary people. I can confidently say that the spirit of the New Uzbekistan has entered every mahalla, every home in this land. If we call this the main result of our reforms, it would be fair," stated the President.

It was noted that Andijan is one of the regions where reforms are taking place across all sectors, bringing real positive changes to people's daily lives.

Last year, over 4,000 new entrepreneurs started their businesses in the region, 51 enterprises upgraded from small to medium, and 13 moved into the large business category. Over the year, 450,000 people found employment.

The region saw the construction of 1.5 million square meters of housing and 850,000 square meters of non-residential buildings. As a result, trade and services volumes increased by 13%, while industrial production rose by 7.5%.

"However, life doesn't stand still. People are constantly searching for new paths, proposing ideas and initiatives, and setting us ever more ambitious goals," said the President.

In light of this, an additional 1 trillion soums were allocated for the development of the region.

Heads of the region, leaders of local organizations, and the khokims (mayors) of 16 cities and districts were instructed to maintain daily communication with the population and entrepreneurs and continue the current development pace.

"In the current global economic turmoil, every khokim must take on exceptional responsibility," emphasized the President.

It was also noted that in the past eight years, the output in Andijan's machine engineering industry has increased twentyfold.

"I saw this yesterday at the fair. The region has already developed a strong foundation in this field, with many entrepreneurs eager to open new enterprises. However, in the last two years, equipment worth 1 billion dollars was imported to the region. The faster we master their production, the more confidently we will move towards transitioning the economy to a new technological level," stated the President.

For example, in the Bulakboshin district, the "Molecular Chemistry" company began producing painting installations that are unique in the country. It was emphasized that if we find another 10-15 such enterprising entrepreneurs and create the necessary conditions for them, the situation will drastically improve.

Unfortunately, due to the complexities and lengthy procedures for certifying and registering equipment, many entrepreneurs are hesitant to invest in projects. Therefore, officials were tasked with establishing close communication with such manufacturers and providing support for implementing their initiatives.

It was also decided to begin the establishment of machine engineering design centers in Andijan.

In particular, industry leaders will study the technical characteristics of at least five types of imported equipment needed in "driver" industries such as textiles, leather and footwear, furniture, and automotive production. Based on the findings, local enterprises will be offered engineering solutions, and entrepreneurs wishing to set up production of similar equipment will be provided with preferential loans of up to 5 billion soums.

In the Altinkul district, an entrepreneur modernized an irrigation canal system (zovur) and built 20 commercial-service facilities on a 1.1-hectare plot. It was noted that if the khokims of the districts convert at least 30 kilometers of zovurs into a closed system, it will create 1,000 commercial-service facilities and 10,000 jobs.

To this end, officials were instructed to identify at least 300 kilometers of roadside canals across the republic and offer them to entrepreneurs. By the end of the year, based on the Altinkul experience, plans are in place to create 10,000 commercial-service points and 100,000 jobs.

Additionally, out of 21,000 hectares of idle elevated land in the region, 13,000 hectares can be irrigated and brought into agricultural use. Officials were tasked with developing proposals for the effective use of all elevated and hilly land across the republic.

It was also noted that the use of electricity for pumps needed to supply water to such lands is burdensome for farmers. Therefore, there is a need to rapidly introduce financial tools for installing solar panels.

This year, a new system for using household plots is being implemented. For example, in the Otiş Mahalla of the Asakin district, greenhouses are present in 805 out of 810 houses, with three harvests collected annually. A similar situation is observed in the Obod Mahalla, where residents of 922 houses effectively use greenhouses.

The importance of expanding this model to the remaining 907 mahallas in the region was emphasized. Officials were tasked with implementing a nationwide system for providing mahallas like those in Asaka with accessible seeds and fertilizers. It was noted that this system reduces seed and fertilizer prices by up to 15%.

Although poverty in Andijan region decreased from 11.9% to 9.5% last year, the region ranks only ninth among the other regions of the republic.

In the Balykchin and Altinkul districts, greenhouse farms were set up on 5-hectare plots, resulting in 100 low-income families gaining stable incomes. Each family receives a 10-sot greenhouse plot for two years. By harvesting three times a year, each family earns from 150 to 200 million soums. The entrepreneur supplies seedlings, seeds, fertilizers, and fuel, and then buys the harvested produce.

This model will also be implemented in areas with high poverty levels, including the Ulugnor, Pakhtaabad, Khodjaabad, Marhamat, and Andijan districts. Mahalla chairpersons who have established exemplary modern greenhouses will receive a 100% bonus.

It was emphasized that to attract young people to entrepreneurship and ensure efficient land use, it is essential to develop their professional skills. In schools, depending on the region's specialization, labor lessons and vocational clubs will be organized. Specialists from industrial, trade, and service enterprises, as well as from clusters, will conduct classes.

Meanwhile, only 23% of the 5,700 hectares of artificial water reservoirs in the region are used for intensive fish farming.

An entrepreneur from the Andijan district proposed a project for intensive fish farming on 320 hectares, attracting an investment of 15 million dollars and collaborating with 500 households. The project plans to develop a local fish species based on 27 types of carp, adapted to local conditions.

For the first time, the Asian Development Bank agreed to provide direct financing for this project in the amount of 15 million dollars. A three-party contract will be signed between the entrepreneur, the bank, and the regional administration.

Officials were tasked with attracting 100 million dollars in foreign investments and launching at least 5-6 similar projects by the end of the year, covering a total area of 1,200 hectares.

A total of 150 million dollars will be allocated for the development of the fish farming industry in the republic, with Andijan receiving 50 million dollars.

It was also emphasized that the region’s tourism potential must be fully utilized.

In the Kampirovat Mahalla of the Khonobod city, a 92-hectare tourist center will be created. If similar tourist clusters are established in the Shirmonbulok Mahalla of the Bulokboshin district and the Tosh Ota Mahalla of the Khodjaabad district, there is real potential to attract an additional 1 million tourists.

Officials were tasked with developing master plans for these mahallas and addressing the necessary infrastructure costs.

The regional and district administrations were tasked with completing the implementation of 25 projects, worth a total of 125 million dollars, by the end of the year, attracting 3.5 million foreign and local tourists, and increasing exports of tourism services to over 200 million dollars.

At the meeting, special attention was given to investment and export issues.

It was noted that over the past three years, deputy khokims and district khokims have reached more than 600 agreements with foreign investors, but only a third of these have resulted in actual projects.

More than half of the investments attracted last year went to the Balykchin, Bulokboshin, and Andijan districts, as well as the city of Andijan. At the same time, in the Pakhtaabad, Izboskan, and Shakhrikhan districts, this figure amounted to only 50 million dollars.

Officials were tasked with creating an electronic platform to track meetings with foreign investors, assigning specific executors to each issue raised by investors, and implementing a system of daily monitoring for their execution.

Annually, Andijan exports products worth 200 million dollars to Kyrgyzstan.

It was emphasized that free trade and industrial zones should be established in Kurgantepa and Khodjaabad, similar to those functioning along the Afghanistan border. In consultation with entrepreneurs, one of these two areas will be selected, and a master plan for development will be developed.

Attention was drawn to the dissatisfaction of the population and transporters due to heavy traffic congestion at the "Dustlik" checkpoint in the Khodjaabad district. Relevant ministries and agencies were instructed to investigate the causes of the traffic jams and provide proposals for their resolution as soon as possible.

The implementation of the major project to build the "Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China" railway will reduce cargo transportation time by one week, shorten the distance by 1,000 kilometers, and increase transportation volumes by ten times.

"But how prepared are our internal railway networks, customs points, and stations to handle such a volume of cargo?" — asked the President.

Officials were tasked with conducting calculations and preparing a program of specific actions in this direction.

Within one week, 360 properties were identified in Andijan region that are inefficient or vacant. Additionally, 96 buildings and structures have been unsold at open auctions for many years.

The responsible individuals have been tasked with approving the bridge reconstruction program within a month and allocating 25 billion soums for this purpose. It was emphasized that the bridge should be fully operational by next year.

The need for the construction of a 56-kilometer ring road to connect the new district of Andijan with the city and other settlements has been highlighted. This year, a 5-kilometer stretch of the road will be completed, which will significantly shorten the journey to the city center. Along this route, 200 commercial and service facilities will be built, providing jobs for 1,000 people.

Due to the lack of public transport connecting the city of Andijan with eight districts of the region, about 80,000 people daily have to travel to the regional center using nearly 20,000 private cars.

During rush hours, the road congestion level in Andijan reaches 7–8 points. Meanwhile, a small bus can serve at least 400 passengers daily, thus replacing 25 private cars.

The responsible parties have been tasked with meeting with entrepreneurs, defining new routes, and selecting bus models that meet the region's needs, with proposals to be submitted.

The head of state voiced an important initiative for the city of Andijan. In the city center is the pretrial detention center #3, known as the "Andijan Prison." Considering the increasingly modern appearance of the city, the presence of such a "grim" building, built 100 years ago, in the center was deemed inappropriate.

As a result, a decision has been made to relocate the detention center to the outskirts of the city and build a modern shopping and entertainment center in its place.

The meeting also focused on social issues.

The president emphasized that Andijan has all the potential to create its own brand in the field of medicine.

Last year, a 650-bed clinic was transferred to the balance of the Andijan State Medical Institute. 180 billion soums have been allocated for its repair and equipping, creating conditions for 11,000 students to study and practice simultaneously.

Support has been given to initiatives for the establishment of a simulation center at the institute with a two-stage qualification assessment system for healthcare workers, the construction of trauma, pediatrics, surgery, and gynecology departments near the clinic, and the formation of a medical cluster. An additional 100 billion soums will be allocated for these purposes.

Medical workers who successfully pass the tests in the simulation center will receive a 100% salary bonus.

Given that 2,000 students from Namangan travel to Andijan daily for studies, the medical faculty of Namangan State University will be transformed into a branch of the Andijan Medical Institute. In the future, this branch will gain independent university status, and the institute will become a university.

It was noted that due to the influx of students from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, and India, the region can increase the export of medical education to more than 20 million dollars annually. The responsible individuals have been tasked with submitting a proposal within a month regarding the introduction of a "student visa" for foreign students.

In more than 400 neighborhoods of Andijan, private medical points have been established, operating 24/7, providing primary and simple services such as blood pressure measurements, injections, and physiotherapy.

The president supported this practice and instructed the responsible parties to implement this system in at least 100 neighborhoods in other regions this year.

To create modern private clinics in Andijan, state-owned properties that have not been sold in the past six months will be directly leased to entrepreneurs for five years, with subsequent privatization in favor of the tenants.

In recent years, significant reforms have been made in the vocational education sector. However, the new system has not been fully implemented in all 56 vocational schools in Andijan.

Thus, in Vocational School #4 in Andijan and Vocational School #2 in Pakhteabad District, a positive practice has been introduced that allows students to both study and work, earning income simultaneously.

A system of incentives for vocational school directors will now be introduced, similar to schools, rewarding those who achieve results through self-development, improving professionalism, and competencies.

A significant initiative was put forward yesterday to rename the city of Yangi Andijan to Bobur.

In order to honor the memory of our great ancestor Bobur, it is planned to create a thematic park with miniature copies of historical monuments built by this great ancestor and his descendants.

The president proposed holding an annual artists' festival in Bobur-city. Winners will receive cars as prizes.

In addition, the responsible individuals have been tasked with developing a project that includes measures to turn the city into a center of education and culture.

"Over the past two days, I have familiarized myself with the changes taking place in Andijan. Unprecedented funds are also being allocated for the development, improvement, and infrastructure of the region. This has never happened before," stated the head of state.

All the initiatives outlined will be implemented down to every house in Andijan, and a completely new control system will be introduced to ensure that each amount allocated in soums is returned at least tenfold.

The responsible authorities have been instructed to exercise strict control over the implementation of each instruction, as well as the interaction between leaders, the public, and entrepreneurs.

The task is to strengthen measures to prevent offenses in each district and intensify the fight against crime. The responsibility of the new prosecutor of the region and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Andijan has also been defined for the execution of these activities.

"Our reforms, which we have started, are not just numbers or reports. These are real changes that are felt in the life of every family and every individual, aimed at welfare and development.

Today, we also identified the most important tasks to elevate large-scale reforms in Andijan to a new level. We discussed all the issues that affect the mood of the population and entrepreneurs, and determined what funds are necessary for the development of the region.

If we all work together and cohesively, our achievements will grow, and there will be no goal that we cannot achieve. Andijan will become even more well-maintained, and I believe in that!" concluded the head of state in his speech.

The meeting heard reports from local and national authorities as well as proposals from entrepreneurs.