TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 8. The Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office of Uzbekistan and British American Tobacco (BAT) Uzbekistan convened a meeting to coordinate strategies for future investment and production, Trend reports, citing the department’s press service.
The discussions concentrated on the continued modernization of the company’s production facilities and the introduction of new product lines targeting both domestic and international markets. A key objective for the forthcoming period is the expansion of Uzbekistan’s export reach, building upon the company’s current export volume of $95 million.
The parties also outlined plans to strengthen integration with local agricultural supply chains, aiming to increase the utilization of domestic raw materials and support the national farming sector as part of BAT’s broader $530 million investment portfolio in Uzbekistan.
Additionally, the meeting emphasized the ongoing reduction of the shadow economy. While illegal tobacco turnover has already declined from 22.4% to 7%, the participants agreed on a roadmap to further enhance the regulatory and institutional framework. These measures are intended to promote fair competition and facilitate the expansion of legal product circulation through systematic market controls.
