TASHKENT (TCA) — Despite Uzbekistan’s government’s measures to expand the production of localized import-substituting products, the country has seen the unreasonable growth in imports, which leads to inefficient use of foreign currency resources that could be directed at projects aimed at further expansion of domestic production and creation of new jobs. This was said at the April 19 video-intercom meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which discussed strengthening of the personal responsibility of officials at all levels for optimizing the volume and structure of imports by deepening the localization of the production and increasing exports, the Jahon information agency reported.
In 2016, many large state companies in Uzbekistan significantly increased their imports, importing products that are produced inside the country.
The heads of such companies were strictly warned for the growth of imports, especially of products and raw materials that are produced domestically.
During the meeting it was noted that over 2.8 thousand localization projects worth more than $5.5 billion were implemented in the country, and more than 4.8 thousand previously imported items are now produced in Uzbekistan. As a result, the volume of imports over the past five years has decreased by $752 million, including by $286 million in 2016.
The meeting paid special attention to boosting the volume and expanding the range of exports.
It was noted that, despite the growth by 9.1% in the exports in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, a number of enterprises did not fully meet the forecast export parameters. Hokims (governors) of the regions that failed to fulfill the planned export volumes of fruit and vegetables in the first quarter of 2017 were warned that if the forecast parameters will not be fulfilled in the first half of the year, the issue of their further stay in their working posts will be considered.