On April 3, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video conference on supporting entrepreneurship in the context of countering the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to international experts, global economy damage will cost more than $2 trillion. Cessation of trade and services provision is observed everywhere.
Uzbekistan is taking necessary measures to prevent the negative impact of this crisis on the economy. Relevant decrees and resolutions of the Head of the state provided many benefits and preferences to business entities.
At the meeting, the President noted the need for promoting business continuity, full mobilization of all opportunities and reserves.
“Even one case of enterprise suspension should be perceived as emergency. Because enterprises provide jobs and income for families. At the beginning of the year, all khokims made appeals for development of entrepreneurship and set great goals. Now is the time of trials. The khokim who calculated everything correctly will achieve the goals, the one who correctly use the internal reserves and opportunities. Supporting entrepreneurs, addressing their problems and creating all necessary conditions is more important than ever”, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The importance of continuing the activities of more than 2 thousand large enterprises providing the bulk of the gross domestic product and employment of the population was emphasized. For this, each of them will be assigned advisors to the President, deputy prime ministers, heads of ministries, agencies and banks. The work at enterprises will be organized in compliance with quarantine requirements and in accordance with the decisions of the Special Republican Commission. Responsible officials will provide enterprises with practical assistance in solving infrastructure and raw materials supply problems, transporting products and workers, tax, credit, and customs issues.
Heads of sectors in districts and cities will work closely with enterprises in the assigned territory. Headquarters will be organized in the district departments for economic development and poverty reduction that will deal with solving problems of entrepreneurs.
“Everyone should be well aware: we will not leave any entrepreneur alone in trouble”, the Head of the state said.
The need for working individually with entities for which the consequences of the pandemic would be most severe, was noted. Business executives who are faced with financial difficulties should not be faced with red tape, visiting banks and tax departments to receive benefits.
An additional 3.6 trillion UZS were allocated from the Anti-Crisis Fund for social sphere and construction of infrastructure. In particular, solving problems of 152 projects will create over 10 thousand new jobs.
The issue of export was considered at the meeting. The need for increasing containerized cargo transportation by railways, expansion of refrigerated sections at stations was noted. Responsible persons were given instructions for prompt resolution of problems associated with the export of food products, textile and electrical products, building materials.
Special attention has been paid to providing the population with necessary consumer goods, food products, medicines and hygiene products. Measures have been identified to establish mobile trade in makhallas involving 358 dehkan markets of the country and Elga Hizmat enterprises.
Moreover, the population has 4.5 million household plots at its disposal. Soon they will yield crops that will become a source of additional income and abundance. In this regard, an instruction was given to create the possibility of free movement for persons selling products from their land in compliance with the requirements of the epidemiological situation.
Our people united from the first days of quarantine, and caring people extended a helping hand to lonely elderly and families in need. In order to coordinate these efforts and implement them in compliance with security measures, charity assistance is collected at Uzexpocentre in Tashkent and based on the calls received at the call center, delivered to families in need through makhalla representatives and volunteer groups. 20 Damas vehicles, provided with all protective equipment, have been allocated for this.
The Ministry for Supporting Makhalla and Family has been given instructions on organizing such an order in the regional centers.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hunarmand Association was recommended to control, together with commercial banks, bringing the loans allocated for projects of artisans in the amount of 50 million USD directly to the addressee.
Issues of implementation of the forecast revenue to the state budget were comprehensively discussed at the meeting.
In the first quarter this year, the treasury received 24 trillion UZS of taxes and 4.8 trillion UZS of customs duties. The income forecast was fully implemented in all regions.
In the second quarter, under the influence of factors such as a decrease in natural gas sales, a decrease in world copper prices, tax revenues are expected to decrease by 1.4 trillion UZS compared to the first quarter. A reduction in customs revenue is also expected.
This requires a high degree of mobilization from financial, tax, customs and other agencies of the economic complex. Therefore, attention of managers has been drawn to the need for facilitating the continuous operation of enterprises and entrepreneurs, taking measures for increasing revenues.
Chairman of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, khokims of the regions, heads of each responsible ministry, agency and organization reported on the issues discussed at the meeting.