TASHKENT (TCA) — Polaris Technologies (the Artel trademark) has announced the start of production of two Samsung refrigerator models in Uzbekistan, Novosti Uzbekistana news agency reported.
The project is estimated to cost $4 million. The company has purchased technological equipment and components from South Korea, Japan, Italy, and China. At the first stage, the production localization level will be 37.2 percent and will reach 45.8 percent in 2018.
This year the company plans to produce up to six thousand refrigerators, to increase the output in 2017 and 2018.
There are plans to export products to neighboring countries.
According to Artel representatives, the new refrigerators will be a little more expensive than the local brand but cheaper than the Samsung original.
The Jahon information agency earlier reported that Uzbekistan’s joint stock company Uzeltekhsanoat (Uzbek Electrotechnical Industry) is planning to use investments worth about US $1 billion until 2030 to increase domestic production of household appliances and home electronics by five times.
Uzeltekhsanoat underlined that it will help decrease the import.
Over the past five years, the companies within the industry have started production of 25 types of household appliances which were previously imported. As a result, the share of locally produced home appliances reached 45 percent in the internal market of Uzbekistan.
According to the company, in 2016 it is planned to increase the production of air conditioners up to 37.2 percent of the total market in Uzbekistan (growth of 8.6 percent), gas and electric stoves up to 56 percent (6.7 percent growth), television sets up to 60.1 percent (6.5 percent growth), refrigerators up to 32.5 percent (4.6 percent growth), and washing machines up to 65 percent (3.1 percent growth).
