At the videoconference meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, services sector was in spotlight of discussions.

This is an important sector of the economy. The share of this sphere in GDP around the world is on average 61 percent. In Uzbekistan, this figure is at 36 percent, although 86 percent of added value is created in this industry.

The volume of services per capita in Karakalpakstan, Kashkadarya, Namangan and Surkhandarya is half the national average.

The meeting participants noted the availability of enormous potential in this sector, and the development of services has been defined as a priority for the next year.

As the President noted, improving the roadside infrastructure would make it possible to provide services for 700 billion soums, including through the construction of 400 major service facilities along 10 thousand kilometers of roads passing through more than 150 districts and cities.

Responsible officials thus were instructed to organize trade and service facilities on highways of international importance, namely, Tashkent-Andijan, Tashkent-Termez and Samarkand-Nukus, which would facilitate the creation of new jobs.

Many services can also be established by setting up – with the participation of investors – trading, catering and leisure facilities in parks and squares with the use of light structures, as well as by providing business entities with unused sections of educational, cultural, sporting and healthcare institutions.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev informed that next year, 500 billion soums of loans will be assigned for the construction of sports facilities with the engagement of entrepreneurs.

Today, with the agro-industrial sector rapidly advancing, there is a growing demand for specialists in agronomy, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, plant protection, seed production for modern greenhouses, intensive gardens and livestock farms.

Therefore, the head of our state insisted it is essential to expand the range of cutting-edge services in this area, attract foreign specialists and arrange practical training.

Transport has the highest share in the services industry. A new public transport management system is being introduced in Tashkent, the current state of which is one of the objects of public discontent.

The Ministry of Transport was instructed, with the invitation of experts from abroad, to take measures designed at perfecting the public transport in Nukus, regional centers and other cities.

Special attention was paid to issues of support for the services sector. In particular, the procedure for the quarterly payment of value added tax by entrepreneurs with an annual revenue of less than 1 billion soums will remain intact. This measure will allow more than 8 thousand entrepreneurs to have, per quarter, 220 billion soums at their disposal as working capital.

In addition, enterprises exporting goods and services will receive a refund of value added tax immediately, without waiting for foreign exchange earnings. As a result, the business will have 200 billion soums of working capital on a quarterly basis. Ministries in charge have been given appropriate instructions.

In general, hokims of all levels, it was stressed at the meeting, should devise and deliver on local programs to promote the services industry. Commercial banks are assigned to the regions to develop standard projects and facilitate financing. The task has been set to adopt a government resolution to define specific tasks in the context of every district.

Source: Official website of the President of Uzbekistan