Shavkat Mirziyoyev's transformative agenda: 51,000 families with better housing, 71% increase in drinking water, and 1.8 Mn hectares of green forest in Karakalpakstan

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the presidential candidate from UzLiDeP, has commenced his meeting with voters from Karakalpakstan. During the meeting, Mirziyoyev presented his election program and reflected on the remarkable progress achieved in recent years. He emphasized the commitment to improve the lives of the people and implement policies that uphold human dignity.

Among the accomplishments highlighted by Mirziyoyev are:

1. Improved Housing Conditions: The living conditions of 51,000 families in Karakalpakstan have been significantly enhanced.
2. Increased Access to Drinking Water: The level of access to drinking water for the population has risen to 71%.
3. Ecological Restoration: A remarkable achievement includes the establishment of 1mn 800 thousand hectares of green forest in the area formerly occupied by the Aral Sea's dry bed.
4. Expansion of Kindergartens: The coverage of kindergartens has increased from 28% to 81%, with the number of kindergartens rising from 317 to 1,600.
5. School Infrastructure Development: A total of 172 schools have been completely renovated, with additional buildings constructed for 104 schools. This effort has created 118,000 new student places.
6. Higher Education Expansion: The number of universities in Karakalpakstan has doubled to 12, and university admissions have increased by 3.5 times, with coverage rising from 19% to 46%. Currently, 58,000 students are enrolled in higher education institutions.

Mirziyoyev also announced forthcoming initiatives, including the construction and renovation of 160 new kindergartens and the establishment of 2,000 private kindergartens. Additionally, plans are in place to create an additional 100,000 new student places in the next seven years. This will involve the construction of 30 new schools, additional buildings for 150 schools, and the renovation of 350 schools. The number of specialized schools will be doubled to 32, ensuring that classrooms in Karakalpakstan do not exceed a maximum of 30-35 students per class.

Furthermore, Mirziyoyev shared plans to provide free meals to 1st-4th graders in Karakalpakstan and introduce bus services for children in remote villages, enabling them to commute to school more conveniently.

In a bid to support local entrepreneurs, an amendment to the Tax Code has been introduced. This amendment grants tax benefits to entrepreneurs operating in all districts of Karakalpakstan until January 1, 2028. These benefits include reduced tax rates of 50% for profit tax, turnover tax, property tax of legal entities, and land tax. Additionally, the social tax is set at a rate of 1%, while self-employed individuals pay a fixed amount of approximately $29 per year.