The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed decree No. UP-6244 "On additional measures to increase the industrial potential of the regions".
According to the document, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade is entrusted with additional tasks to ensure the accelerated development of local industry:
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identification of industries that are "drivers" for the development of local industry based on the attraction of available natural and economic resources;
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expansion and deepening of intra-sectoral and inter-sectoral cooperation ties, the involvement of plants in global production chains and the establishment of joint export of manufactured products to third countries;
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creating conditions for attracting private and foreign investment, as well as modern technologies that ensure the production of high-quality and competitive products;
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increasing the competitiveness of manufactured products by expanding the value added chains, reducing production costs and expenditures, deepening the localization of the production of finished goods and materials;
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effective use of opportunities and implementation of coordination of activities of small industrial and special economic zones;
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training of professional personnel for local industry enterprises, taking into account current trends and wide use of training programs;
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improving the regulatory environment and standards in order to increase the industrial potential of industries and regions.
From July 1, 2021, business entities implementing projects for the production of a number of building materials, including dry mixes based on gypsum and gypsum products, are provided with the following by the State Fund for the Support of Entrepreneurship:
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guarantees for bank loans issued as part of the implementation of investment projects, including for replenishment of working capital, up to 50% of the loan amount, but not more than 15 billion soums;
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compensation to cover interest expenses on loans issued to plants engaged in the production of building materials, on loans:
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in national currency - in an amount exceeding the base rate of the Central Bank, but not more than 10 percentage points;
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in foreign currency - in the amount of 50% of the rate set by commercial banks, but not over 4 percentage points;
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compensation to cover the costs of purchasing test laboratory equipment and the implementation of international quality management standards.
The decree provides for:
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specialization of 24 districts (cities) in the production of building materials, including cement and materials based on it, aerated concrete blocks, reinforced concrete products;
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formation of the Council for the development of the building materials industry under the Association "Uzpromstroimaterialy";
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creation of small industrial zones for the implementation of projects for the production of building materials with the allocation of the necessary land plots in specialized areas, including with the participation of the investment company PSB Capital under Uzpromstroybank.
The Cabinet of Ministers, together with the Council for the Development of the Building Materials Industry under the Association "Uzpromstroymaterialy", the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the khokimiyats (city/area administrations) of the regions and the city of Tashkent, were instructed to develop and approve within two months a Program involving international experts for the accelerated development of industries and increase the export potential of local industry for 2022 – 2026.
The Fund for Reconstruction and Development needs to ensure the allocation of a credit line in the amount of US $ 200 million to "Uzpromstroybank" to finance projects in the building materials industry.
The Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Finance should provide for the allocation of funds in 2021 in the following amounts:
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400 billion soums - for the development of industrial infrastructure in specialized regions;
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100 billion soums - for geological exploration.
The State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources was ordered to ensure the transfer of 500 deposits of nonmetallic minerals for exploitation by investors by October 1, 2021, based on the results of the auction.
The decree established that from July 1, 2021, confirmation of the conformity of a number of building materials produced in the Republic of Uzbekistan is made via declaration by the manufacturer (supplier). These materials include:
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gypsum;
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panels, slabs, tiles, blocks and similar products made of plant fibers agglomerated with cement, gypsum or other mineral binders, straw or sawdust, sawdust, shavings, shavings and other wood waste;
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products made of gypsum or mixtures based on it;
- products made of asbestos cement, cellulose fiber cement or similar materials.
