Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was held, focusing on the priority tasks for the comprehensive development of the Kashkadarya region.

President Mirziyoyev opened the meeting by highlighting how the reforms being carried out across the country are increasingly becoming a part of daily life: “After visiting the region and speaking with people, I am once again convinced that our reforms are rapidly integrating into everyday life. Previously, one day was enough to observe the changes in a region. Today, one week is not even sufficient for a single district,” the President remarked.

He reminded the attendees that eight years ago, over half of the region’s industrial output came from the oil, gas, and chemical sectors. Since then, there has been a dramatic surge in industries such as electrical engineering, construction materials, textiles, and furniture production. These now account for 54 percent of regional industrial output.

However, the President stressed that there is no room for complacency — further progress must be made at an even faster pace.

Earlier this week, the President had tasked regional governors (hokims) with moving beyond top-down directives and taking initiative, urging them to adopt a proactive approach. Kashkadarya has at least $15 billion in untapped potential. If even a third of this is translated into real projects, the region's gross product could easily reach $10 billion within the next five years.

To coordinate these new initiatives, it was decided to establish a dedicated “Reform Headquarters” in the region.

The President also shared his impressions from recent visits to several sites in the region. He noted impressive transformations in Kukdali district, which was carved out of Chirakchi district three years ago. Over this time, 120 kilometers of water pipelines and 210 kilometers of electrical networks have been constructed, 605 kilometers of dirt roads repaired, and 19 schools, 22 kindergartens, and 5 family clinics have been launched. The number of manufacturing enterprises has tripled to 220.

In the town of Miraki alone, over 200 projects totaling $180 million have been implemented in a short period, creating 2,000 jobs. Additionally, new projects worth another $150 million are underway.

In the center of Yakkabag district, 54 apartment buildings with 1,400 units have been constructed, along with an “eco-market” and a modern shopping and entertainment complex.

“Frankly, I was very impressed. This is exactly what a district center should look like. If we carry out similar projects in every district, in every mahalla, it will bring culture and stand as a clear, visible result of our reforms,” the President emphasized.

In the city of Shakhrisabz, a modern multi-disciplinary clinic worth $10 million has been put into operation. The President highlighted the need to open at least one such private clinic in every district of the country, noting that the government is prepared to allocate $140 million for this purpose.

“In short, the projects implemented in Shakhrisabz, Yakkabag, and Kukdala are model examples for the ‘Reform Headquarters.’ Let all district hokims across the republic come, observe, learn, and implement similar initiatives in their own regions,” he stated.

During the meeting, special attention was drawn to one of Kashkadarya's largest untapped resources — its land, including irrigated farmlands, pastures, and forests.

The region has 515,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land, along with 45,000 hectares of household plots and orchards — the highest figures in the country. Additionally, it possesses 1.3 million hectares of pastures and forests, enough to fully meet national demand for meat production.

In 2024, the region’s agricultural sector produced goods worth 43 trillion soums.

“If we intelligently combine science, resources, and potential; introduce modern agrotechnologies, high-quality seedlings and seeds; and efficiently use water- and energy-saving solutions, this figure could reach 100 trillion soums within five years,” the President said.

To effectively utilize the 1.3 million hectares of pastures and forests, attract investment, bring the land into productive use, and develop projects, a special joint-stock company will be established.

An initial $100 million will be allocated to this company, which is expected to attract an additional $500 million in investment. Within two years, these funds will enable irrigation, laser leveling, and the introduction of water-saving technologies on at least 200,000 hectares of land.

A pilot project in Miraki — where fruit orchards of grapes, cherries, and apples have been established using terracing on 520 hectares of mountainous terrain — will serve as a methodological base for this new company.

A new program for comprehensive livestock development is also being launched in Kashkadarya.

To support livestock farms, loans at 14 percent interest for up to 12 months will be provided from the Agricultural Fund, enabling 127 farms in the region to reach full capacity.

Additionally, 630 livestock farmers who already own land and farms will be granted preferential resources to increase their livestock population by 12,000 head.

Relevant ministries have been instructed to begin financing these projects using $150 million in resources attracted from international financial institutions.

Since the beginning of the year, the region’s fruit and vegetable exports have doubled, reaching $62 million.

The President noted that by cultivating 6,000 hectares of rainfed land in Kukdala for watermelons, and planting tomatoes on another 6,000 hectares across 13 districts, annual watermelon exports could reach $30 million, while tomato exports could exceed $5 million.

It was also noted that the high volume of vegetable seed imports, including tomatoes and cucumbers, is due to the lack of high-yield, disease-resistant varieties adapted to local conditions. In response, cooperation between the Southern Research Institute of Agriculture and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico was approved. As part of this partnership, 500 new varieties have already been introduced to Uzbekistan.

CIMMYT representatives plan to open a center for grain and forage crops in Kashkadarya. Most importantly, Mexican experts will introduce accelerated breeding technologies for new crop varieties. A budget of $3 million has been allocated for the center’s development.

To support potato cultivation, preferential loans at 10 percent interest for up to 12 months will be made available from the Agricultural Fund to cover half of the production costs. Potato farming equipment imports will be exempt from customs duties, and 50 percent of the VAT on high-quality seed purchases will be refunded.

This year, Kashkadarya aims to provide employment for 470,000 people, lift 150,000 residents out of poverty, and transform Kitab district as well as the cities of Karshi and Shakhrisabz into “zones free of unemployment and poverty.”

The President concluded by pointing out that many available resources for ensuring employment remain underutilized.

Along the Hisorak–Gelon road in the Shakhrisabz district, 16 hectares of land have been identified, along with 65 hectares in Kamashi and 42 hectares in Guzar, which can be transformed into tourist zones. In addition, a 103-hectare coastal strip in the Chirakchi district offers potential for developing recreational areas for tourists.

At the Chiyal market in Kukdala, nearly 50 local entrepreneurs prepare and sell the traditional delicacy “Chiyal Yakhnasi,” a practice that dates back over 100 years. Currently, the market operates only on Sundays. With improved infrastructure, a hotel, and a parking area, this historic site could operate daily and serve up to 100,000 visitors per month.

In the mahallas of Shakhrisabz city, more than 100 people practice blacksmithing at home. To support their work, the creation of a 4.5-hectare micro-market dedicated to the blacksmith trade has been ordered in the Karasuv mahalla. Similar micro-markets will also be established in the city of Karshi and in Dehkanabad, Kasbi, Kitab, Kasan, and Chirakchi districts.

To enable Kashkadarya residents working abroad to access better-paid jobs, the importance of upskilling at least 100 teachers at Karshi State University in German, Japanese, and Korean was emphasized, along with providing foreign language education to at least 10,000 people. The need to create job opportunities within Uzbekistan for compatriots earning low incomes abroad was also underscored.

This year, the region plans to attract $3.5 billion in investments. In the first five months alone, investment volumes in Koson, Kitab, and Chirakchi districts nearly doubled.

However, 12 mining deposits in the region have yet to be industrially developed. In the construction materials sector, 16 projects totaling $150 million have been prepared, and the relevant agencies have been instructed to put these deposits up for auction.

In the Kitab district, a 100-hectare plot has been found to contain 20 tons of gold reserves. Numerous investors have expressed interest in investing between $100 and $150 million in environmentally friendly underground mining methods. It was stressed that this site should also be auctioned.

Additionally, five more promising sites in Kitab hold an estimated 39 tons of gold, and Chirakchi is home to rare earth metal reserves amounting to 10,000 tons. Geological exploration is to begin at these deposits.

In Muborak, a 200-hectare area near the Gas Processing Plant—already equipped with infrastructure and rail access—will be developed into an innovation-driven industrial zone.

This zone will host five major cluster-based projects in petrochemicals, electrical engineering, robotics, and construction materials manufacturing.

Despite leading the country in cotton cultivation, the textile industry accounts for less than 10 percent of the region's economy. Currently, only 28 percent of the 100,000 tons of yarn produced is being processed.

To address this, 12 projects worth $200 million are planned in a new 40-hectare technopark in Koson. However, due to the absence of sewage and wastewater treatment facilities, the projects have been put on hold. Relevant agencies have been instructed to allocate funds for the necessary infrastructure.

Overall, the goal is to launch 35 projects worth $400 million, increase yarn processing to 51 percent this year, and achieve full processing by next year.

The meeting devoted special attention to road and engineering infrastructure.

It was noted that reconstruction of a 100-kilometer stretch of the Guzar–Bukhara–Nukus–Beyneu highway passing through Kashkadarya will triple the region's transit potential. Completing the remaining 13 kilometers of the new ring road in Karshi will resolve chronic traffic congestion. The President instructed that practical implementation begin next year.

Additionally, reconstruction will start on a 106-kilometer stretch of the Karshi–Shakhrisabz–Kitab highway, which will be widened to four lanes, along with the construction of a new 34-kilometer bypass road circumventing the centers of Kamashi and Yakkabag.

The necessity of creating a “green belt” by planting at least one million trees along both sides of this 106-kilometer road was emphasized.

Sixty kilometers of the Tashkent–Termez highway that pass through Kashkadarya will also be expanded to four lanes with concrete pavement. Twenty kilometers of this section are to be completed within the year.

There are approximately 3,000 kilometers of dirt roads in the region. Responsible agencies have been tasked with converting these to gravel roads. In addition, nine regional bridges are to be fully reconstructed.

Over the past eight years, thanks to an investment of 1.7 trillion soums, centralized water supply coverage in Kashkadarya has risen from 32 to 61 percent. However, this remains the lowest rate in the country.

This year, 800 billion soums have been allocated to improve water and sewage systems in the region. With these funds, 183 kilometers of pipelines and sewer networks and eight water facilities must be completed.

It was stressed that modernization of Karshi’s sewage system must begin this month. Sixty million dollars have been secured from an international financial organization for this purpose.

While 97 percent of Karshi residents have access to piped water, more than half of the city’s 110-kilometer main water pipeline is in critical condition, causing significant water loss.

“Therefore, no matter how difficult it may be, we must lay a new drinking water line from the Hisorak reservoir to the city of Karshi,” the President stated.

Relevant ministries have been instructed to submit concrete proposals for implementing this project.

Currently, about 20,000 families in the region are in need of housing. Accordingly, this year, the construction of 7,700 apartments must be completed, and the construction of an additional 5,000 units must begin in the densely populated cities of Shakhrisabz and Karshi, as well as in the districts of Kitab, Koson, Chirakchi, and Yakkabag.

To support the transition of residential buildings to energy-efficient systems, instructions were given to facilitate the installation of solar panels and solar collectors in social infrastructure and residential homes in the districts of Kukdala and Nishon, as well as in the city of Karshi.

Regional and district offices are required to install solar panels with a capacity of no less than 20 kilowatts on their buildings by the end of the year.

In the past five months, not a single crime has been reported in 551 mahallas of Kashkadarya region.

At the same time, it was noted that the districts of Shakhrisabz, Kitab, Chirakchi, Yakkabag, and the city of Shakhrisabz — areas both remote from the regional center and popular among tourists — account for roughly one-third of all recorded crimes.

Officials have been instructed to implement a "regional management system for internal affairs bodies" aimed at improving the criminal situation in local communities. As part of this system, a Tourism Safety Center under the regional Department of Internal Affairs will be established in the city of Shakhrisabz to oversee crime prevention in the five aforementioned districts.

Currently, Kashkadarya is home to around 5,500 unemployed young people, and another 36,500 recent graduates are expected to enter the labor market in the near future.

To promote employment and youth entrepreneurship, the “Youth Business” and “Step into the Future” programs are being implemented, covering 13,000 university graduates. In addition, around 5,000 young people will be engaged in income-generating agriculture.

“In recent years, our anti-corruption reforms have been delivering results,” the President stated.

As an example, he cited that the digitalization of paid services in 34 medical institutions in Kashkadarya has led to an increase in revenue of 15 billion soums.

Officials have been instructed to extend this successful experience within a month to sectors with high corruption risks — such as education, employment, and construction — and to apply it in the city of Karshi, in Koson, and in the Karshi district, with the aim of systematically working to make the region “free from corruption.”

A new system for ensuring price stability in agricultural markets will be introduced in Kashkadarya.

Officials have been tasked with fully digitizing the operations of all agricultural markets.

“As you can see, the volume of work we plan to carry out in Kashkadarya is enormous. But in this era of rapid transformation, even greater effort and research are required from us today.

If we approach this task with determination and perseverance, there will be no peak we cannot reach, no mountain we cannot climb.

By inheriting from our great ancestor Amir Temur such traits as courage, resilience, and generosity — and together with the hardworking, sincere, and noble people of Kashkadarya — we will certainly achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves. I am confident that the people of Kashkadarya will be at the forefront of all our reforms,” the head of state concluded.

The meeting also included reports from regional and national representatives, as well as proposals from entrepreneurs and community activists.