New governor of Samarkand region appointed

April 16, 2008

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov participated in the extraordinary session of the Samarkand regional People’s deputies Council on April 15, 2008.

Speaking at the session, the head of the State said Samarkand was one of the country’s leading regions, producing 6.3% of the GDP, 13% of agricultural produce and 8% of the service sector.

Last year, the gross regional product grew by 10.5%, industrial production by 24.6%, agricultural production by 6.3%, services by 37% and exports by 35%.

In the industrial sector alone, 21 new enterprises were created and 10 enterprises increased their capacities. Foreign and local investments worth USD 10 million and UZS 1.4 billion were attracted in this sector.

Samarkand region occupies an important place in the agricultural complex of Uzbekistan, too, Islam Karimov said. More than 24,000 farmers are currently working in the region. In 2007, they produced 100% of cotton and 80% of grain in the region.

Positive developments in social sector included building 900,000 square meters of housing, 72 km of gas mains and 195 km of water mains. As a result, over 88% of Samarkand region’s population is now provided with natural gas and drinking water, the President said.

The head of the state then highlighted a number of existing shortcomings, saying Samarkand region had a lot of unused potential.

The share of industry in the country’s GDP made up 24% last year, while in Samarkand this figure was only 10.5%.

Reduction of production at many industrial enterprises is worrying, he said. Uzbekistan’s only refrigerators producer Sino has been working to 5-10% of its capacity for years. And Samarkand lift building plant produced only 303 lifts last year and is experiencing a crisis.

Of 58 privatized industrial enterprises 36 are not working to their full capacity, and 22 are not operating at all, Islam Karimov noted.

The session participants considered appointment of a new government for the region. Azamkhon Bahromov, who was acting governor, was freed from this post, and Uktam Barnoyev, first vice-minister of agriculture and water resources, was appointed the new regional governor.

On the same day, President Islam Karimov visited the Imam Bukhari complex in Payariq district of Samarkand region. Here he met the teachers and students of the Imam Bukhari center for hadith studies.