Uzbekistan aims to lift 1.5 mn citizens out of poverty and create 5.2 mn jobs, transforming 60 districts and cities into areas free from poverty and unemployment by the end of 2025. President Mirziyoyev oversaw the presentation of the poverty reduction roadmap on January 17.
Innovative Approaches to Poverty Reduction
The strategy includes a mix of infrastructure development, renewable energy projects, and business support initiatives aimed at empowering low-income families and boosting economic resilience. UZS120 trillion in loans will be allocated to support small business ventures, with a focus on creating opportunities in rural and underserved areas.
Major Initiatives Include:
1.Job Creation Through Business Development
•1.5 million citizens will secure permanent employment through partnerships with mahalla bankers.
•Over 2 million citizens will receive support to start businesses, bolstering local economies.
2.Renewable Energy Employment
•Solar power stations with a combined capacity of 107 megawatts will be constructed in 300 disadvantaged mahallas, employing low-income families to maintain and operate these facilities.
3.Environmental and Agricultural Projects
•In 123 districts, citizens with limited incomes will be employed to develop 20,000 hectares of forests and cultivate medicinal plants.
•Workers will receive subsidies of UZS375,000 for every 100 trees planted, providing both environmental and economic benefits.
4.Tourism and E-Commerce Opportunities
•Regions with tourism potential will see the establishment of guesthouses and dining outlets, generating jobs for underserved communities.
•E-commerce centers at postal offices will create digital trade jobs for low-income families.
Addressing Regional Disparities
The government is focusing on uplifting 6,472 mahallas across the country, with an immediate goal of lifting 210,000 citizens out of poverty by year’s end. Special attention will be given to remote villages with challenging conditions, where the Mahalla Association of Uzbekistan will promote entrepreneurship and discourage dependency.
Accountability and Oversight
All initiatives will be tracked through a digital platform managed by the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction. This system will monitor job creation, ensure transparent allocation of funds, and validate outcomes through tax database checks. Training programs for local officials will also be introduced to enhance project implementation.
Multidimensional Poverty
In 2024, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Uzbek government launched transformative initiatives in Uzbekistan to tackle multidimensional poverty, which affects 18.4% of the country’s adult population—or approximately 4.2 mn people. A key milestone was the introduction of the national Multidimensional Poverty Index (n-MPI) pilot program, which identified deprivations in education, food security, and sanitation as major contributors to poverty. The study revealed that rural areas face significantly higher poverty rates (23.2%) compared to urban areas (13.9%), with Karakalpakstan, Namangan, and Tashkent regions exhibiting the highest levels. Collaborating closely with the government, UNDP aims to integrate the MPI framework into policymaking to enable targeted interventions and resource allocation.
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