TASHKENT (TCA) — A meeting on improving activities of Navoi international intermodal logistics center was held on December 6 under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President’s press service reported.
Uzbekistan pays special attention to the development of transport infrastructure and increasing the volumes of transit cargo transportation.
For this purpose, in 2008, an international intermodal logistics center was organized on the basis of the airport in the city of Navoi, which should contribute to increasing the potential of Uzbekistan in this sphere and promoting domestic products to foreign markets, including those produced in the Navoi free economic zone.
The center was provided with all types of tax benefits and customs preferences, and was transferred to management by the Korean Air company.
However, despite the granted benefits, the capabilities of the center’s terminal are not used at full capacity. Less than 20 percent of the capacity of the center, the carrying capacity of which is 100 thousand tons of cargo per year, is used now. The existing shortcomings are evidenced by the fact that over the past 8 years, only 300 thousand tons of cargo has been transported through the Navoi airport.
It is forecast that by the end of 2017 the total cargo turnover at the terminal will decrease by 11 percent compared to 2016.
The President said that irresponsibility of some officials directly responsible for the sphere, their inability to develop the center on the basis of a deeply thought-out strategy became the reason for this situation.
According to statistics, two flights a day are carried out from the center on average. This shows how far the real level of using the logistics center and the airport is from the potential.
It was said at the meeting that high tariffs are among the main factors hampering the development of cargo transportation by air.
Foreign freighters do not show interest in capabilities of Navoi logistics center. The main reason is interruptions in the supply of aviation kerosene. Despite the existing weekly demand of 950 tons, the Uzbek oil refineries are producing only 600 tons of this fuel.
Local importers are not interested in receiving their cargo through the Navoi hub as well, because its infrastructure does not meet the requirements. Most of the import cargo is imported through the Tashkent airport.
The President gave instructions to officials of the oil and gas industry on timely and full provision of the requirements of the national airline and foreign freight carriers with aviation kerosene.
National airline company Uzbekistan Airways has been instructed to revise the current tariffs and intensify activities on attracting the world’s leading cargo transportation companies to the Navoi airport.
