Employment - The Times Of Central Asia

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New Industrial Zone Launched with Chinese Investment in Uzbekistan

On June 27, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the construction of the first project in the Technopark special industrial zone in the Zaamin district of Jizzakh. Chinese investors have allocated a total $1.2 billion towards the realization of 30 projects in the new Technopark. Located on 400 hectares of land, the Technopark will comprise facilities to produce goods with high added value and import-substituting products to meet demands from foreign markets, with particular focus on electrical and mechanical engineering, building materials, furniture, food, and services industries. The initiative will create over 5,000 jobs and produce $70 million worth of goods for export. The Technopark will also provide an International Center for the Exchange of Experience and Engineering, to provide training in specialized skills required by industrial enterprises. Other facilities include an office complex, residential buildings, an eco-park, a large exhibition hall and a shopping center. Apart from the Technopark, Zaamin has recently created a zone to develop its services to tourism which is fast becoming a major driver in the scenic region’s economy.

Manufacturing International investment Electric Vehicles Employment

First Electric Vehicles Roll Off China’s BYD Assembly Line in Uzbekistan

On June 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev joined his Chinese partners in witnessing the start of production of electric vehicles at the BYD Uzbekistan Factory in Jizzakh. The visit marked the completion of first phase of the project which will have the capacity to manufacture 50,000 electric vehicles per year. Costing $160 million, the plant is furnished with modern equipment and robotic systems from China, as well as a laboratory for high-precision testing of the geometric dimensions of electric vehicles. The plant currently manufactures the Chazor and Song Plus Champion and President Mirziyoyev left his signature on the first electric car that rolled off the assembly line. In the coming years, the range of models will expand. During the second phase, costing $300 million, manufacture will increase to up to 200 thousand electric vehicles per year, and in the third stage, at a further cost of $500 million, up to 500 thousand vehicles. In tandem with the rising volume of vehicles produced at the plant, local production of related parts will also increase. Starting with bumpers, glass, varnished and plastic parts, plans are in place to establish new enterprises to produce batteries, electric motors, aluminium parts, tires, and seats. The plant currently employs 1.2 thousand people and once all three stages are complete, the number of jobs will reach 10 thousand.

Employment

A Million New Jobs on the Horizon in Kazakhstan

At a meeting on sustainable employment on June 25, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov tasked his government to create employment for around a million citizens this year. Referencing the initiative, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Svetlana Zhakupova reported that in 2024, the government plans to ensure employment for 948 thousand Kazakhstan citizens. To date, about 353 thousand people, including 148 thousand youths, have found work, representing 37% of the target. Since the beginning of the year, 137 thousand people have secured state-subsidized jobs. Over 97 thousand have found employment under the Head of State's initiative "100 new jobs for every 10 thousand people"; over 103 thousand have filled employers' vacancies, and some 16 thousand have been employed by national project programs. Prime Minister Bektenov announced that the concept behind "Development of the Labour Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024-2029" is to create a maximum number of permanent jobs, including those for young professionals. Today, up to 25 percent of graduates of technical and vocational educational institutions, work outside their professions. To address the issue, Bektenov stressed the importance of establishing interaction with employers through means such as digital monitoring of employment which tracks projects requiring new labour. In theory, the implementation of measures to ensure employment will create 3.8 million quality jobs by 2029. The meeting also addressed issues concerning the employment of Kazakhstan citizens abroad and the protection of their rights. Regarding the above, the Prime Minister warned, "We are aware of situations where their salaries were not paid, medical services were not provided, contracts were grossly violated. Work is therefore underway to conclude relevant intergovernmental agreements -and- to systematize the work of private agencies that employ our citizens abroad. Kazakh citizens should receive reliable guarantees under the contract."

Agricultural Produce Food industry Employment

Kazakhstan to Build the Largest Poultry Farm in CIS

On June 20, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakh Invest, Yerzhan Yelekeyev, and Vice President of JSC Aitas KZ, Rabiga Tokseitova met to discuss the Kazakh company’s plans for the "Almaty Poultry Farm Zhetysu". As reported by Kazakh Invest, the project costing more than $600 million, will have the capacity to process 240,000 tons of poultry, including 100,000 tons of sausages and delicacies, for distribution to local and foreign markets. To be constructed in the region of Almaty, from 2025-29, the enterprise will become the largest poultry farm in the CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States, which unites post-Soviet republics) and provide 6,000 new jobs. The Aitas holding company is a leading producer of poultry, covering around 43% of the local market. Its assets include Makinskaya, Central Asia’s largest poultry farm, and Kazakhstan’s oldest poultry farm Ust-Kamenogorsk, with a total capacity of 150,000 tons per year. It also owns Almaty Breeding Poultry Farm Nauryz Agro, which as the largest in the CIS, provides 80 million hatching eggs per year for broiler chickens.

Foreign Investment Agriculture Industry Employment

PepsiCo to Build Snack Production Plant in Kazakhstan

PepsiCo has announced plans to build a full-scale new plant to produce salty snacks, including Lays crisps, in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region. Implementation of the project was discussed at a meeting between Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and David Manzini, President of PepsiCo in Central Asia, Russia, Belarus, and Caucasus. According to the Kazakh prime minister’s press service, the project has already received $160 million in foreign investment. The plant, anticipated as the largest of its kind in Central Asia, is scheduled to open in 2026. Its original capacity of up to 16,000 tons of finished products per year, will increase to 21,000 tons from 2027, for distribution to both the Central Asian market and abroad. Up to a thousand people will be employed during the plant’s construction, with 350 skilled jobs created when it opens. David Manzini stated PepsiCo’s intention to use locally sourced raw materials. The conclusion of contracts with Kazakh farmers on the delivery of test batches of potatoes is ongoing but all going to plan, the company will purchase up to 50-66 thousand tons of potatoes in 2026-2030, and increase the volume in later years. Prime Minister Bektenov emphasized the importance of the project for the development of agriculture, increasing Kazakh farmers’ income and strengthening the economy. He mentioned that besides its positive impact the food industry and agribusiness, the plant will have a multiplier effect on related industries including transport, logistics, packaging, and processing of agricultural products.

Employment Technology International investment

Uzbekistan to Establish International Financial and Technology Center

On June 13, Tashkent hosted the inaugural meeting of the Working Groups on the development of Uzbekistan’s capital market and creation of the International Financial and Technology Center. The event which also addressed the development of the Law on Alternative Investments, was organized within the framework of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Uzbekistan. Representatives of international financial organizations and Uzbekistan’s business community joined heads of Uzbek ministries and foreign investors in discussions on the establishment of an International Financial and Technology Center, with an emphasis on attracting financial technology companies to Uzbekistan. The Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade reported that the agenda also included the development of a law governing the Center's operations as well as the creation of a strategy to promote opportunities offered by the center to entice foreign investment in Uzbekistan. According to experts, the launch of the Center will ensure long-term sustainable investment growth, increase the country’s GDP by 1% annually, and attract portfolio investments amounting to $7-$8 billion by 2028. It is also expected to create 15-20 thousand new highly skilled jobs over the next ten years. The meeting also reviewed draft amendments to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Joint Stock Companies and Protection of Investors' Rights" and the concept of the law "On the International Financial and Technology Center".