Employment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Russian Online Retailer Wildberries to Build Logistics Center in Kyrgyzstan

Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, is set to build a logistics center spanning 300,000 square meters in the Chui region of northern Kyrgyzstan to service cross-border e-commerce. The initiative was confirmed on 16 May in Kazan, Russia, in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation by Wildberries, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy and Commerce, and the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Chui region. The large-scale infrastructure project represents an important milestone in trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. As part of its positive impact on the Kyrgyz economy, the ministry says the initiative will help raise employment, and increase the volume of the economically active population through the development and emergence of new small and medium-sized enterprises, contractors, and buyers. Kyrgyzstan is currently home to two other Wildberries centres in Bishkek and Osh servicing some 130 order delivery points across the country. E-commerce is rapidly growing in Kyrgyzstan and to date, over 17,000 Kyrgyz sellers are registered on the Russian marketplace, compared to about 7,000 in 2022.

Industry Employment Foreign Investment business and economy

Coca-Cola Opens New Production Plant in Uzbekistan

On 15 May, Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, and Tuncay Özilhan, Chairman of the Board of Anadolu Group attended the launch of a new Coca-Cola non-alcoholic beverage production plant in the Samarkand region. The company’s exclusive partner in Uzbekistan is Coca-Cola İçecek, part of the Turkish Anadolu Group. According to the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, the new plant built at a cost of $80 million, will produce 280 million liters of beverages per year and create 200 jobs. The company has now invested $500 million and created over 1,500 new jobs in three plants in Tashkent and Urgench, and in the Namangan region. The combined annual production exceeds 900 million liters of beverages. Plans were also announced for the construction of a new production line in the city of Namangan, costing $50 million and scheduled to open next year. The heads of The Coca-Cola Company and Anadolu Group commended Uzbekistan’s investment climate which nurtures confidence amongst foreign investors to implement long-term projects. Following the launch, James Quincey and Tuncay Özilhan attended a meeting with Uzbekistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev during which agreements were reached on the further expansion of the Coca-Cola Company’s investment program in Uzbekistan. In response to the company's readiness to increase their presence in Uzbekistan, the president advised that the state was set to adopt a separate roadmap for the accelerated implementation of this and other promising projects.

Education Employment Information Technologies business and economy

Uzbekistan to Create IT Towns Across its Regions

On May 13, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conducted a government meeting on measures to develop digital technologies and expand IT training for young people across the country. In recent years, Uzbekistan’s IT sector has undergone rapid growth and compared to the 147 companies registered in 2017, the country now has close to 2,000. The number of specialist employees has likewise increased and today some 30,000 people work in high-paid company jobs and a further 70,000 young people are independently engaged in the sector. During the first quarter of this year alone, services in the sector increased by 20 percent, exports amounted to $200 million, and 5,000 new jobs were created. Home to 80 percent of the country’s IT specialists, Tashkent represents the hub of Uzbekistan’s IT services and exports. To redress the balance through the development of the IT sector further afield, the government now plans to create IT towns in fifteen of the country’s regions and in the city of Khanabad. Once established, the IT towns will enable some 10,000 young people per year to study, free of charge, information technologies, foreign languages, and other professions in high demand. Hailing the initiative, the president emphasized that the key aim of the IT towns is to “give young people wings and train them in professions fit for the modern world.”

Economy Migration Employment

Up to 300,000 Uzbeks Labor Migrants Expected to Return Home

On May 10, an online meeting was held under the chairmanship of President Mirziyoyev on the issue of employment and mobilizing the internal capabilities of local industry. Mirziyoyev reiterated that the issue of employment and income of is of primary importance, and warned leaders at all levels that laxity in this regard will not be tolerated. Mirziyoyev also touched upon the issue of labor migration: 58,000 labor migrants returned between January and March of this year, followed by another 57,000 in April alone. Up to 300,000 people are expected to return by the end of the year, and the importance of providing them with gainful employment and helping them with social issues was emphasized. Officials were tasked with creating a single information platform on migration, helping compatriots working abroad who find themselves in difficult situations, and providing jobs for those returning.

Employment Sustainable Development Economic Growth Population Wages

Central Asia as an Emerging Economic Region

Central Asia, spanning an area from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north, is rapidly emerging as a significant economic block. Comprising five post-Soviet states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — this region is distinguished by its rich natural resources and strategic geographic position, as well as its natural beauty and cultural heritage. With a combined population of around 75 million people, Central Asia has emerged as a dynamically developing market that is increasingly attracting global interest. The transformation unfolding in Central Asia holds both promise and significant challenges for its residents and foreign investors alike. This shift is driven by increasing calls for political reform, the dynamism of a youthful population, and an imperative for sustainable development alongside the pressing need to diversify economic bases. Structural changes following independence in 1991 set the stage for robust growth from 2000s onward Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Central Asian countries faced the challenge of transitioning from centrally-planned to market-oriented economies. This period was marked by significant economic difficulties across the region including negative GDP growth and hyperinflation, compounded by the complexities of privatization, legal reforms, and both social and political instability. The nations responded with different development strategies aimed at market liberalization, infrastructure improvement, and the utilization of natural resources. By 2000, Central Asia experienced a noticeable economic resurgence, marking a striking contrast to the conditions in 1991. In that year, Uzbekistan's GDP growth was at -0.5%, Kyrgyzstan at -7.9%, and Kazakhstan at -11%. A decade later, these countries reported positive growth rates of 4.2%, 5.3%, and 13.5%, respectively. This remarkable turnaround can be attributed to the "low base effect," where the initially low economic indicators set the stage for significant improvements over time. The total GDP of Central Asian countries has grown seven times since the beginning of the 2000s. In comparison with the global economic growth rate of +2.6% annually, the Central Asian region grew by an average of 6.2% between 2000 and 2023 according to IMF data. All Central Asian states are forecasted to outpace the IMF’s projected growth rate for emerging markets and developing economies 2024 which stands at 4.2%; however, actual growth will depend on reforms and foreign investment. Kazakhstan has set the highest growth goal with a five-year target GDP increase to $450 billion, which would require an achievable but challenging 6% annual growth. As illustrated below, Kazakhstan stands out as the economic powerhouse of Central Asia with a GDP almost 1.5 times that of all the other countries combined. Labor markets: Optimal demographics for growth and innovation According to United Nations data, approximately 75 million people live in Central Asia, representing 1% of the world’s population. Relative to the global median age, all of Central Asia boasts a young population. A youthful population fuels economic growth by replenishing the workforce, driving innovation, and expanding consumer markets. It supports older demographics...

Employment Gold Mining

Kumtor Gold Boosts Kyrgyzstan Economy

On May 7, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov inspected the Kumtor gold mine in the permafrost zone of the Issyk-Kul region. Sitting 4,000 meters above sea level, the mine serves one of the world’s ten largest gold deposits and prior to being nationalized in 2021, was owned by Canadian company, Centerra Gold. The mine now has over 3,000 employees, 99.9% of whom are local specialists, and more than 800 specialist vehicles, machinery and equipment to ensure uninterrupted production. With reference to the significant developments to the site since nationalisation, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the state’s role in maintaining its efficient operation. Last year, the mine generated 17.2 billion soms (over $194 million) in taxes and social payments - equivalent to roughly one-third of Kyrgyzstan’s state budget. Japarov also inspected Kumtor’s underground gold mining project, which launched in February, will enable the further extraction of about 115 tons of gold. At Kumtor’s open-pit mine, it currently takes one ton of processed ore and over 40 tons of extracted waste rock to produce 5-7 grams of gold. Underground mining has the potential to double that yield with less damage to the environment than its open-pit equivalent. Further to the prime minister’s visit, it was reported that from 2026, mining will begin on ore waste stored at the Kumtor mine tailings and according to estimates, will produce an additional 120 tons of gold. In 2023, the Kumtor mine produced 13,567 tons of gold, with a total revenue of $848 million, and net profit of $302.5 million.