Today, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video conference to discuss improving the drinking water supply and sewerage systems in the regions, accelerating preparations for the autumn-winter season.

On 30 November 2018, the head of state signed a decree defining additional measures for the development of drinking water supply and sewerage systems in the country. Over the past two years, 3.7 trillion soums have been allocated from the budget for these purposes. In addition, foreign loans worth $ 1.9 billion were attracted for the implementation of 48 projects.

Despite plans to provide access to drinking water for 3.6 million people and solve all financial issues within three years, it was noted at the meeting, only 30 percent of households have been granted access to drinking water.

The selection of projects does not take into account the local situation, the needs of the population and the availability of water sources. The executives of industries and regions should be seriously concerned about the fact that the burden of repaying loans falls on the budget, it was stressed at the video session.

The head of state pointed out the problems in the realization of projects and the return of foreign loans, stressed the need to fully use the newly laid water supply networks and, starting from next year, provide for the laying of water supply networks in all projects not only to the village, but also directly to people’s homes.

Responsible managers were criticized for the inability to have consumers connected to the existing water supply networks, which is why the budget does not receive revenues, and in this regard, Uzsuvtaminot (Water Supply) joint-stock company was instructed to connect 2.5 million consumers to the water supply networks by the end of this year.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the need to create a monitoring and oversight system for all processes from project development to their implementation, the liability for the effectiveness of which will be borne not only by responsible officials of the sphere, but also by hokims.

For these purposes, supervisory councils headed by regional hokims will be set up in regional water supply enterprises. They will be equally accountable for the quality realization of projects, the targeted use of funds and the return of the loan received. Uzsuvtaminot JSC will form projects in agreement with hokims and the population based on the specifics of given areas.

The progress of each project will be studied by deputies of regional and district kengashes on site. The approval of tariffs for drinking water will also be transferred to the competence of local councils of people’s deputies.

In order to fully reorganize the design process in the field, the Ministry of Public Utility Services and the State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources were instructed to devise a scheme for the development of water supply and sewerage systems, linking them with general plans of regions and sources of drinking water.

The President insisted that the implementation of small energy efficient projects will bear good results.

A pilot project in the Ulugnar district of Andijan region can serve as an example. Here, 2 thousand people will have access to drinking water through the construction of a well equipped with a 5-kilowatt capacity solar power plant. The project worth 52 million soums will pay for itself in less than three years, saving 44 thousand kilowatts of electricity a year.

It was indicated that the number of such projects should be increased in areas far from water sources and where the laying of power grids is associated with high costs.

To prevent the delay in the development of investments in the field, the task was set to introduce a new system, in accordance with which purchases for projects executed at the expense of international financial institutions will be open, and their realization will be coordinated and effectively monitored.

The President instructed to expand the equipping of hydraulic structures with water measuring devices and consumers with water meters, establish a center outfitted with digital technologies for processing consumption data.

There are high losses in water supply networks, the head of state pointed out. In some places, the quality of drinking water hardly meets standards. The Inspectorate for Overseeing the Drinking Water Use is indifferent to addressing these issues.

Therefore, it is essential to actively engage the private sector in the sphere, boost its attractiveness by providing subsidies and creating favorable conditions. And the delegation of the right to set tariffs to the regions themselves will afford a good impetus to this process.

During the video conference, the issues of preparing the housing stock, economic sectors and social facilities for the fall-winter season were also discussed.

The importance of reducing problem debts of partnerships, transferring management of apartment buildings to service companies was noted. The issue of guaranteed supplies of coal and liquefied gas to remote areas in the autumn-winter period was also deliberated.

Measures have been determined to ensure uninterrupted provision of the population with food products, to enhance the cultivation, purchase and reserve secondary crops.

The President pointed out the need to pay special attention to the situation of low-income families, to provide 30 thousand poor households with food and medicines for the autumn-winter period at the expense of the Compassion and Support Fund.

Heads of industries and regions provided reports at the meeting.

Source: Official website of the President of Uzbekistan