Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Uzcharmsanoat Association and a delegation of 40 enterprises in the leather and footwear industry visited the city of Shymkent and Turkestan region of the Republic of Kazakhstan on a business mission.

The agenda of the first working day of the business mission included negotiations between the chairman of the Uzcharmsanoat Association and the deputy chairman of the Industrial Development Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the deputy akim of the city of Shymkent.

During the dialogue, issues of further development of industrial cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, expansion of production volumes of Uzbek enterprises operating in Kazakhstan, including the involvement of our manufacturers in special industrial zones created in Shymkent and Turkestan region, were considered. As part of the events, a presentation was made of the developed and adopted special program for Uzbek enterprises in Kazakhstan, benefits and preferences created for business.

After that, an extended meeting and meetings in the B2B and G2B format were held with the participation of representatives of the business circles of the two countries. During the meetings, they discussed the introduction of a special program, under which Uzbek enterprises from the Industrial Development Fund of Kazakhstan will be allocated loans in the amount of 3% per annum for 10 years (in the national currency tenge) for the purchase of equipment and construction and installation works. And within the framework of the national project for the development of entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan, credit funds will be allocated to entrepreneurs at an annual rate of 7% per annum for a period of 3 years (in the national currency tenge) to replenish working capital.

During the meeting with representatives of the Kazakhstan Industry and Export Center, they discussed the conditions for doing business in 14 special economic zones and 36 industrial zones of Kazakhstan, benefits and preferences for investors, including the applied "zero" rate of taxes on income and property, land tax, as well as VAT on the sale of products and imports.

In turn, the delegation of Uzbekistan informed the Kazakh side about the all-round state support for the leather, footwear and textile industries in Uzbekistan, the decrees and resolutions of the President and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted, about the conditions created in the country for business people and development strategies in the context of industries.

On 22 June, the Uzbek delegation visited Turkestan region, got acquainted with the possibilities of industrial zones. Businessmen intending to invest in Kazakhstan were provided with information on the principles of doing business in these industrial zones.

As a result of the business mission, agreements were reached between the leading Uzbek enterprises Peng Sheng, KFK, Saxovat teks, Grand Fayz Baraka with Kazakh partners on a wide range of projects, including the establishment of the production of molded shoe soles, the collection of skins and leather processing, the cultivation of cotton in Kazakhstan.