BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 10
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Some 1.6 trillion soums ($152 million) have been allocated this year for the construction of external engineering and communication networks for free economic and small industrial zones in Uzbekistan, Trend reports referring to the Information and Mass Communications Agency in Uzbekistan.
In it reported that Uzbek Agency of Information and Mass Communications held a press conference of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan (MIFT), dedicated to the discussion of the further development of the engineering and communication infrastructure of free economic and small industrial zones in the country.
According to the information, currently, there are 23 free economic zones in Uzbekistan with a total area of 8,800 hectares, of which 895 investment projects are placed on 3,900 hectares for a total of $5.3 billion. About 5,000 hectares remain unused, which means that it is possible to place new investment projects on them, create industrial capacities and create additional jobs.
At the same time, it was emphasized that about half of these areas have not yet been provided with the necessary engineering and communication infrastructure.
Also, the country has 348 small industrial zones, the total area of which amounts to 2,400 hectares. 3,587 investment projects worth 16.7 trillion soums ($1.6 billion) have been placed on 1,600 hectares. At the same time, 60 functioning small industrial zones are not fully provided with the necessary engineering and communication infrastructure.
It was noted at the meeting that ensuring the connection of free economic and small industrial zones to utility networks is one of the key factors of a favorable environment to stimulate the accelerated development of their activities, in connection with which, this year, 1.6 trillion soums ($152 million) have been allocated for the construction of external engineering and communication networks for free economic and small industrial zones, and 1.8 trillion soums ($171 million) - in 2022.
It is reported that the implementation of these measures will provide engineering and communication infrastructure for 3,200 out of 4,900 hectares of vacant land in free economic zones and 822 hectares in small industrial zones.
Also, this year, it is planned to launch 332 projects worth $1.1 billion in free economic zones, and 1,845 projects worth 9.5 trillion soums ($905 million) in small industrial zones. Their implementation will create 20,298 new jobs.
In addition, their implementation will allow by the end of this year to additionally export products worth $400 million, produce import-substituting goods worth $350 million and provide additional revenues to the state budget in the amount of over two trillion soums ($190 million).
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