BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Uzbekistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) discussed accelerating public-private partnership (PPP) projects in education, health care, water supply and district heating during a meeting in Tashkent on Sept. 25.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzbek Ministry of Economy and Finance, following a meeting between Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and an ADB delegation led by Takeo Koike, head of ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public-Private Partnership.
The sides reviewed the current status of PPP projects being implemented in Uzbekistan, measures to speed up their implementation and opportunities to expand cooperation into new sectors.
In education, the discussions covered PPP projects aimed at expanding preschool facilities across the regions. The sides also reviewed health care projects, as well as the construction of drinking water supply and wastewater treatment facilities and the modernization of district heating systems.
“Accelerating the implementation of PPP projects and strengthening institutional capacity are key priorities for ensuring the effectiveness of cooperation in sectors that require significant investment,” the Uzbek Ministry of Economy and Finance said.
Particular attention was given to agreements already signed with ADB on PPP cooperation across various sectors.
Moreover, the parties discussed accelerating projects to modernize district heating systems using modern approaches, developing additional PPP initiatives and strengthening institutional capacity through ADB’s expert and advisory support.
The meeting concluded with the sides expressing readiness to expand bilateral cooperation and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of PPP projects while accelerating their implementation in priority sectors.
