Baku, Azerbaijan, February 21
By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend:
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on implementation of investment projects in the electric power industry and the further development of the industry, Trend reports with reference to press service of the head of state.
The president noted the unsatisfactory state of work on the modernization of power generating facilities.
Moreover, he criticized improper organization of investment policy in the industry, which is the complete lack of attention to attracting direct investment. As a result, enterprises are forced to take loans or implement projects at their own expense.
"The Investment Program for 2019 includes 33 projects related to the electric power industry, with a total value of $8.1 billion. This year it is planned to master almost $620 million and implement 7 major projects," the presidential press service noted.
Currently, the country is working on the construction of solar and winds power plants in cooperation with the Turkish company Yildirim Group, the Masdar fund from the United Arab Emirates and the International Finance Corporation.
In addition to these projects, the president instructed Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Energy and Uzbekenergo to find foreign partners for 13 promising projects worth $2.5 billion and develop an addressable guidebook for attracting direct investments.
The presidential decree of February 1, 2019 provides for the development of a draft document on the reorganization of Uzbekenergo. The head of state noted the need for a clear delineation of the functions of enterprise-producers, suppliers and distributors of electricity in this resolution, the introduction of market relations into the industry, in particular the mechanisms of public-private partnership.
In addition, instructions were given on the efficient use of Uzbek transit potential in delivery of electricity, and on acceleration of the construction of Surkhan-Puli-Khumri power line.
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