Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 5 May 2023, the most prestigious award ceremony in the field of public-private partnership (PPP) "Partnership Awards 2023" was held in London. This ceremony was once again special for Uzbekistan, the project for the construction of sewage treatment facilities in the city of Namangan was announced as the winner of the nomination "The best project of the municipal sector".

This award has been awarded for more than 20 years and is recognized throughout the world as a sign of excellence in the PPP industry, it is appreciated by the toughest critics. Last year, the Agency for the Development of Public-Private Partnerships under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan became the winner in the Promoter of the Year nomination.

Since 2017, the Government has carried out a number of structural reforms aimed at transforming the economy and expanding the introduction of public-private partnership mechanisms. This laid the foundation for the development of an ambitious public-private partnership program and the initiation of numerous infrastructure and social projects for implementation within this model.

The Namangan city sewage treatment plant project is a pilot PPP project in the country in the provision of drinking water supply and sanitation services. A two-stage open and transparent tender was held for the project, in which 23 companies expressed their interest in participating. As a result of the tender, the contract was awarded to Metito, which submitted the lowest availability fee. Metito is a global investor and provider of water management solutions based in the United Arab Emirates.

The Namangan city sewage treatment plant construction project provides for the construction of a new sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 100,000 m3 per day and a sewerage network with a length of 7.5 km, which will serve the city of Namangan and five surrounding districts. The potential population service area will be about 1.8 million people.

The project’s victory in the "Partnership Awards" confirms that the project will be implemented in accordance with the advanced international PPP standards, its high social and environmental significance, and also reflects the high efficiency of the work done by all project participants and the design decisions made in the sector.

In addition, the receipt of the "Partnership Awards" was also noted by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance - Ilkhom Norkulov, who in his speech emphasized that the PPP program of Uzbekistan is a turning point for our country. Through partnership with the private sector, we significantly increase the financial and resource support necessary for the implementation of the most important, capital-intensive infrastructure projects, and contribute to a more effective solution of socially significant tasks facing us today. More importantly, we share experiences and promote our local exposure to global standards and innovations that will enable us to unlock new opportunities. We have a long way to go, but we have passed important milestones along the way.

The announcement of Uzbekistan as the winner of the “Partnership Awards” for the second year in a row indicates the recognition by the international community of a successful start in the development of the PPP sector in the Republic.