A project office for the development of agriculture, industry and tourism will be created in Karakalpakstan

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on December 23 on priority tasks for 2025 to harness additional opportunities, increase investment and increase employment in the Republic Karakalpakstan

This year turned out to be very fruitful for Karakalpakstan. New industrial enterprises, tourist facilities, energy facilities, and an IT park have been launched in the region. A new road and railway bridge with a length of 423 meters was opened, which connected Karakalpakstan with Khorezm. Thanks to this, the distance for transporting goods and passengers was reduced by 180 kilometers.

At the expense of $323 million, a 240-kilometer part of the Kungrad-Beineu highway was built and put into operation. This creates the preconditions for increasing the volume of transit and other services by $200 million per year. Work on the electrification of the 196-kilometer section of the Miskin – Nukus railway will soon begin.

There are more than 50 benefits and preferences in the field of industry, entrepreneurship and infrastructure in the region. In particular, only in Karakalpakstan can investors receive land plots for projects directly.

This year, an open dialogue between the President of Uzbekistan and entrepreneurs was held in Nukus, demonstrating the potential of the region. Foreign investors and specialists note the emergence of ample opportunities for profit here.

Thus, a comprehensive analysis of the economic potential was carried out, as a result of which opportunities were identified in the agro-industrial complex, tourism and services in the amount of $2.5 billion.

Currently, from 87 thousand hectares, an average of 28 centners of cotton is harvested per hectare, and in 10 regions the profitability is low. Experts suggest reducing the area under low-yield cotton, replacing them with fodder crops and sesame. According to calculations, by growing feed crops, an additional profit of 6.5 trillion soums can be obtained from the production of meat and milk, and sesame exports can be increased by $500 million. This will save a significant amount of water.

In addition, Muynak alone has the potential for at least $1 billion in tourism projects. By developing integrated tourist facilities, it is possible to receive 1 million tourists annually and provide jobs for 5 thousand local residents.

In the field of ethno- and ecotourism, not all opportunities have yet been realized. There are over 200 cultural heritage sites such as Chilpik, Ayazkala and Thuprakkala, as well as more than 10 types of folk games. All this can attract 3 million tourists and extend their stay in the region for several days.

It is noted that the leaders of the republic, which has such potential, as well as district khokims should increase personal responsibility. It is necessary to demonstrate the region’s capabilities to entrepreneurs, offer them investment projects and provide support. This approach will create new jobs, increase added value and exports, and therefore increase the income of the population.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Jokargy Kenges of the Republic of Karakalpakstan presented plans for using existing resources, increasing investment and creating jobs.

The head of state drew attention to the structure of the announced projects. In particular, of the 3.1 billion dollars of investments planned for next year, only 500 million will come from regional projects.

In this regard, the need to use all opportunities in the regions and increase this share is emphasized. To achieve this, additional regional projects worth $1 billion will be formed, which will allow the launch of 120 new enterprises and increase export volumes to $500 million.

In addition, 85 large enterprises will be brought to full capacity. By organizing new production facilities, trading and service platforms, employment will be provided for 150 thousand people, as a result the unemployment rate will drop to 5.4 percent. New sources of income will be opened for 20 thousand low-income families, which will reduce the poverty level by 7.6 percent.

A wind power plant with a capacity of 1 GW is currently being built in Karakalpakstan. Projects have been launched to construct similar stations with a total capacity of 9.3 GW, which will allow generating 33 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The region also has significant reserves of natural gas. In this regard, the feasibility of locating large-scale energy-intensive enterprises in the metallurgical, chemical and construction industries in Karakalpakstan was emphasized.

In agriculture it is also necessary to increase efficiency. It is planned to create industrial gardens and vineyards with a total area of ​​3 thousand hectares on irrigated lands. It is planned to grow sesame on 31 thousand hectares and mung bean on 22 thousand hectares with an export orientation. In addition, a project to grow licorice on 30 thousand hectares will be implemented within three years.

All these measures reflect only part of the capabilities of Karakalpakstan, and their effective implementation will ensure the dynamic development of the region.

Therefore, a project office will be created in the republic, focused on the development of three main areas - agriculture, industry and tourism. This structure will analyze the “growth points” of each district and give recommendations on the choice of crops and increasing the profitability of land use. He will develop and provide regional khokims with projects for the processing of raw materials and the production of finished products, and prepare proposals for the opening of new tourist destinations and the installation of appropriate infrastructure there.

Responsible persons were given instructions to ensure special control over the progress of investment projects, the implementation of employment and export plans. It was instructed to develop a development strategy for each district with the involvement of authoritative foreign experts.

Official website of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan