Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 7 December 2020, an expanded meeting of the committees of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis on science, education and health, as well as issues of women and gender equality was held, dedicated to the preliminary discussion of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2021”.

It was attended by senators, representatives of relevant ministries and departments, members of the Youth Parliament under the Senate, as well as media workers.

It was noted that in 2020 the state budget expenditures on education will amount to 31.2 trillion soums and it is expected that compared with the approved parameters of all expenditures of the State budget will increase by 4.2%. In 2020, 8.5 trillion sousm were spent from the State budget for social benefits, material assistance to low-income families and compensation payments, which is 30% more than the approved parameters. This year, 5,000 low-income families in need of better housing conditions, including women with disabilities, have received initial cash contributions of 116 billion soums for the purchase of affordable housing on the basis of mortgage loans.

In addition, in order to attract the unemployed and partially employed part of the population for temporary work, 324.0 billion soums have been allocated to the Public Works Fund, of which 200 billion soums from the Anti-Crisis Fund.

At the same time, in order to support the population, ensure its employment on the basis of wide involvement in paid public works and in the sphere of entrepreneurship, 550 billion soums are envisaged to be allocated to the Public Works Fund, 350 billion soums to the State Fund for Promotion of Employment of the Population, 120 billion sums - to the State Trust Fund for Support of Women and Family.

In order to provide social protection and material support for low-income families during the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection in 2020, minors with disabilities and orphans from 410 thousand families included in the Iron Notebook have allocated only 454 billion soums from the State budget.

In 2020, in order to provide affordable housing for low-income strata of the population, 1.9 trillion rubles were allocated from the state budget. soums to finance the construction of apartment buildings in cities and rural areas.

It was noted that in 2021, GDP growth will be 5.1%, while industrial production is expected to grow by 5.8%, construction - by 6.5%, agriculture - by 2.7%, services - by 6.4% , retail trade turnover - by 5.6%, foreign direct investment and loans - by 17.9%, exports of goods and services - by 8.4%, imports - by 8.6%. At the same time, foreign trade turnover is expected to increase by 8.1%.

In addition, at the meeting it was noted that the state budget revenues for 2021 will amount to 147.0 trillion soums or 21.3% of GDP, and expenses - 165.6 trillion soums, which will amount to 24% of GDP.

In the forecast of the State Budget for 2021, the direction of 55.4 trillion soums is planned for the further development of education, healthcare and science.

In accordance with the decrees of the President and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2021, it is planned to allocate 44.5 trillion soums from the State budget for the implementation of state programs and measures adopted for the development of the economy, social sphere, transport and communication, technical and engineering, energy and other industries.

In particular, in order to implement the tasks specified in the state programs for 2021, including the implementation of programs for the development of the system of continuous education and science, as well as improving the quality of medical services provided to the population, it is planned to allocate 2,197 billion soums from the State budget for the education sector, 168 billion soums - for science, 3.95 trillion soums - for healthcare.

During the meeting, the senators stressed that during a pandemic, large-scale work is being carried out to restore the economy, primarily through strong social protection and ensuring the health of the population.

In particular, it was noted that in 2021 it is planned to increase the number of low-income families receiving social benefits to 1.2 million. In 2021, it is envisaged that payments of material assistance to citizens in need of social protection, all types of social benefits to families with children, material assistance to low-income families, benefits for children with disabilities will amount to 10.2 trillion soums, or funds will be allocated 56.3% more than the approved parameters of 2020.

In addition, in 2021, it is envisaged to allocate 250 billion soums through the Public Works Fund, 250 billion soums through the State Fund for Promotion of Employment of the Population, 125 billion soums through the State Trust Fund for Supporting Women and the Family in order to support the population, provide employment based on it. wide involvement in paid public works, in the field of entrepreneurship.

The meeting participants emphasized that in 2021, at the expense of the State Trust Fund for Support of Women and the Family, it is planned to allocate 100.0 billion soums of resources to commercial banks to provide soft loans to women when organizing family and private entrepreneurship, 36.8 billion soums to pay the initial contributions with the condition of non-return when providing housing for women in difficult social conditions, including disabled mothers, low-income families, from single-parent families and those in need of better housing conditions, 18.5 billion soums - to provide material assistance to women and families who find themselves in difficult social conditions, women with disabilities.

In 2021, 2.4 trillion soums will be allocated from the State budget to finance the construction of apartment buildings in rural areas and cities to provide affordable housing to the needy.

During the meeting, the senators noted the need to strengthen parliamentary control over the timely and high-quality execution of the State budget and the budgets of state trust funds in the context of a pandemic, as well as to identify specific tasks for this in interaction with the relevant Kengashes of people's deputies. A number of proposals were also made related to the State Budget and the process of reviewing its implementation.

At the end of the meeting, a joint decision was made by the Senate committees on the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2021".