Shavkat Mirziyoyev: “If we increase tourism exports by three to four times, we won’t have to “plant cotton”
On June 26, the Presidential candidate from the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople – the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with voters of Samarkand region.
The candidate’s proxy in Samarkand region, Rustam Kholmurodov, opened the meeting. It was noted that under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, large-scale activity had been carried out to improve the well-being of people in the region, and Samarkand is becoming even more beautiful.
The candidate for the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented his Election Program.
At the meeting with voters of Samarkand, the candidate spoke about his plans to develop tourism in Uzbekistan for the next seven years.
“One new job created in tourism stimulates the creation of two more jobs in other industries”, the candidate says. – Frankly speaking, even in those years when everyone was forcibly mobilized for cotton in the scorching heat and severe frost, the export of cotton fiber from Uzbekistan did not exceed a billion dollars. Currently, tourism exports have exceeded this milestone. We won’t have to “plant cotton” if we increase it three or four times.
According to this:
– at all international airports, foreign tourists will be refunded value-added tax for products purchased in Uzbekistan;
– tour operators working for reception, as well as exporting enterprises, are provided with a full refund of value-added tax;
– transport of tour operators will be provided with convenient conditions for a trip to the objects of the city;
– it is allowed to pay value-added tax for tourist vehicles imported from abroad within three years without interest and in installments.
At the meeting, the Presidential candidate said special attention would be paid to developing domestic tourism.
– by 2030, all opportunities will be used so that at least 25 million citizens travel across the country.
Based on the private partnership:
– daily flights from the valley to Tashkent, Nukus, Bukhara, and Urgench will be increased;
– companies will be created that will provide intercity bus transportation throughout the country;
– new tourist routes will be opened, such as the “Tourist Ring of the Golden Valley”, connecting the regions and cities of the valley and along Khorezm and Karakalpakstan – the “Ring of Fortresses”;
– continuing the policy of good neighborliness, we will fully use Nanay's tourism potential in Namangan and Shakhimardan in the Fergana region.
– another 4,000 hotels, guest houses, and hostels will be created in the regions, and the number of guest places will be increased at least twice (from 120 to 250 thousand), – the candidate noted.
It was announced that an “Unhindered Tourism” program for people with disabilities would be developed.
Wherein:
– free trips to Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva will be organized for 1000 disabled people per year from each region;
– in the next two years, 200 cultural heritage sites and 100 concert and viewing facilities, and the corresponding infrastructure at airports, bus, and railway stations, will be created.
– 200 billion UZS will be allocated annually for the implementation of this program. In general, $2.5 billion will be invested in tourism projects until 2030, – the candidate said.
It was noted that further expansion of the network of road, air, and rail transport is planned.
“Pay attention to the numbers”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev says. – For 25 years, that is, until 2016, Uzbekistan brought 25 aircraft. We had only one monopoly airline. In recent years, 19 modern aircraft have been imported, and 5 private airlines have started operating. As a result, the number of air travel doubled this year. In the next seven years, we will bring another 56 modern aircraft and increase the number of aircraft in our fleet to 100. The number of flights will be quadrupled, and international flight routes – five times.
For this:
– 6 major airports in the regions will be reconstructed based on private partnership;
– an “Open Sky” regime will be introduced at all airports (Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench, Andijan, Karshi, Termez, and Nukus received the “fifth freedom of air”).
At the meeting, it was noted that $5.3 billion would be allocated for constructing and repairing state roads in the next seven years.
To date, 35,000 vehicles are moving along the “Tashkent – Samarkand” route, and 30,000 cars are moving along the “Tashkent – Andijan” route. This means that the road load has increased by 1.5-2 times. Based on this, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, new high-speed highways will be built based on private partnership in the directions “Tashkent – Samarkand” and “Tashkent – Andijan”. For this, $4 billion will be invested. As a result, the time to reach the destination in these directions will be halved.
“With the support of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the “Tashkent – Shakhrisabz – Termez” road (M-39) will be reconstructed, and the “Samarkand – Bukhara – Alat” road will be repaired”, the candidate said. We will allocate $300 million for this.
It was noted that the development of the education sector in the region will be under constant attention.
“In the next seven years, we will create 110,000 new student places in Samarkand region”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. – At the same time, 21 new schools and additional buildings for 347 schools will be built, and 210 schools will be overhauled. By 2030, there will be no problems with kindergartens in any district. To this end, for the first time, kindergartens will be established in 76 mahallas, and an additional 255 kindergartens will be created.
Special attention in the Election Program is also paid to improving the living conditions of residents of Samarkand region.
“In the next seven years, 2,300 modern and affordable houses for 100,000 apartments will be built in the region”, the candidate said. – In particular, “Yangi O’zbekiston” neighborhoods will be created in Samarkand, and in all regions, 5,300 kilometers of internal roads and 160 bridges will be repaired, and 5,700 kilometers of electrical networks and 2,000 transformers will be updated. 7,000 kilometers of drinking water supply and sewage networks will be built, and the drinking water supply of 180 mahallas (1.2 million people) will be improved. As a result, by 2030, the level of provision of the region’s population with clean drinking water will reach 96 percent (currently – 71 percent). $450 million will be allocated to improve drinking water supply and road infrastructure.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev also announced his plans to turn Samarkand into a city with a population of over one million convenient for residents and tourists.
“For this, the city will be given 18,000 hectares from Samarkand, Pastdargom, Oqdaryo, and Toyloq districts”, the candidate said. – The region’s administrative center will be moved from the city’s historical center to another area. An additional $270 million will be allocated to modernize water supply networks and roads in Samarkand. The public transport system in the city will be completely updated. For these purposes, 40 new bus routes and 5 express bus routes will be created connecting the airport, railway station, and historical centers.
At the meeting, representatives of the party and guests noted that they would support the candidacy of Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the elections for the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and called others to do the same.
Ziyodulla Jonibekov, UzA