On December 25, 2017, a meeting dedicated to issues of increasing the export potential of our country was held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
It was attended by state advisors to the President, the Prime Minister and his deputies, heads of relevant ministries and departments, economic associations. Heads of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the regions and the city of Tashkent, khokimiyats at places, territorial structures of ministries and departments, exporting enterprises and farms attended the meeting through video conferencing.
At the meeting, the effectiveness of measures taken on the execution of forecast indicators for 2017, expanding the export geography of domestic products, further supporting the export activities of subjects of small business and private entrepreneurship, exporting agricultural and industrial products to foreign markets was considered.
The Head of our state noted that one of the most important factors of maintaining stable and high growth rates of our economy is to increase the country’s export potential and strengthen the competitiveness of national products in foreign markets.
Unacceptable practice in the economic policy of our country, consisting in chasing after unrealistic figures and high-flown arguments about plans that have no practical effect, was criticized.
As a result of taken measures on the basis of organization of activity on a specific result, the economic growth rate in 2017 was 5,5 percent, and the volume of exports increased by almost 15 percent. In 2018, the total financial indicator of exports is expected at 12,1 billion US dollars.
At the meeting it was noted that over the past year, a number of decrees and resolutions that abolished export of products on the basis of prepayment, mandatory sale of foreign exchange earnings, issuance of unnecessary permits, as well as expanded the use of tax incentives for export participants were adopted in order to support the export activity of entrepreneurs.
At the same time, during the meeting, priority tasks on expanding exports in 2018, as defined in the Address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Oliy Majlis, were raised again. It is necessary to ensure timely and qualitative implementation of “road maps” on implementation of agreements reached during high-level visits to the Central Asian states, as well as to China, Russia, South Korea, the United States, Turkey and other countries that are our major partners. It is also necessary to introduce a system of warning about the security threat when business entities pass customs inspection, to abolish unnecessary licenses and permits issued by customs authorities that do not meet modern requirements. It is advisable to develop and implement a strategy on bringing the annual export of fruit and vegetable products to 10 billion dollars.
At the meeting, the reports of heads of complexes of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries, departments, economic associations and regions of the country were heard and discussed. The irresponsibility and lack of initiative of the heads of certain industries and regions were seriously criticized, as a result of which there are omissions in implementation of export programs.
The Head of our state gave specific instructions to the officials on increasing the country’s export potential, expanding the geography and range of exports, fully supporting exporting enterprises, attracting new business entities to export activities.
