President Shavkat Mirziyoyev presided over a video-selector meeting on September 23, 2024, focused on the development of the construction industry and building materials network in Uzbekistan. The meeting addressed current challenges, progress, and new initiatives aimed at advancing the sector, which plays a vital role in the country's economic growth.
Over the past seven years, Uzbekistan has invested $9bn into construction materials, resulting in the establishment of nearly 5,000 new enterprises and the creation of 94,000 permanent jobs. The production of construction materials has doubled, with 150 enterprises now boasting an annual turnover of over UZS 100bn ($7.9mn). The volume of production in the industry has also doubled in the last five years, with imports decreasing from 31% to 25% due to the introduction of new products worth $650mn.
The construction materials export market has expanded to 58 countries, with over 50 stores and 20 trade warehouses opened abroad. This year, the country aims to increase exports to $1bn.
Despite the industry's growth, challenges remain. President Mirziyoyev highlighted opportunities to reduce energy consumption by utilizing advanced construction materials such as sun-reflecting glass and fiber-optic panels. Notably, the use of basalt has already decreased energy consumption in housing and social buildings by up to 20%.
To further boost domestic production, investment projects were announced, including a $20mn initiative at the "Kvarts" enterprise in Kuvasoy and a $10mn glass factory project in Jizzakh. In total, 350 new projects worth $3.5bn are planned, with the potential to create 50,000 jobs.
The president stressed the importance of reducing energy consumption in the production of building materials. In the last two years, production has increased by 1.2 times, while energy consumption decreased by 1.3 times. For example, heat exchange equipment at "Kyzylkumcement" was reconstructed, resulting in annual savings of 37mn kilowatt hours of electricity.
The adoption of technology to reuse thermal energy is becoming more common in advanced foreign enterprises. By completing energy audits of 34 high-energy-consuming companies, Uzbekistan expects to save 300mn kilowatt hours annually.
President Mirziyoyev also called for a modernization of urban development norms and rules, citing outdated standards that no longer align with modern construction methods. A digitized system for construction control was proposed, including the use of video cameras at construction sites for real-time monitoring.
The establishment of a testing laboratory under the Association "O'zsanoatqurilishmateriallari," modeled after Korean expertise, was also announced. This initiative aims to strengthen control over construction materials and improve quality standards.
To address inefficiencies in urban development, President Mirziyoyev directed regional governors to expedite the completion of 48 master plans for regional development, 20 plans for tourism zones, and 68 plans for expanding trade and services along major roads. He emphasized the importance of speeding up the sale of land to entrepreneurs, particularly in regions like Bukhara and Navoi.
To address issues in the housing sector, a guaranteed "escrow" system for purchasing homes will be introduced, ensuring buyers' funds are protected until construction is complete. Additionally, a system for assessing the qualifications of construction workers is being implemented. This will allow both formally trained professionals and those who have gained skills independently to obtain certification through exams.
During the meeting, the president listened to feedback from business leaders and directed officials to implement several of their suggestions. These included processing local raw materials, fostering a competitive environment through mandatory certification, and simplifying hiring processes for construction workers.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)