ACTIONS STRATEGY APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT

The Presidential Decree signed 7 February 2017 approved the Strategy for Actions for the Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan along Five Priority Areas in 2017-2021, worked out on the basis of a comprehensive study of pressing issues of the population.

Drafts of this document as well as the state program for its realization were placed on different information platforms for broad public discussion, which received numerous proposals. Citizens expressed interest and involvement in the reforms, demonstrated high political activity.

In particular, according to the results of public discussion of the drafts, the portal "Impact assessment system of legislative acts" received 1,310 recommendations and feedbacks on the basis of which 41 paragraphs of the state program were revised.

The Strategy for Actions outlined the issues of socio-political, socio-economic, cultural and humanitarian development of the country announced by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his electoral campaigning, numerous meetings with the electorate, business community and government bodies.

The aim of the Actions Strategy is cardinal advancement in the effectiveness of reforms, creation of conditions for securing comprehensive and rapid development of the state and society, modernization of the country and liberalization of all walks of life.

Five priority areas were identified for the country’s development, each of which containing specific sections on the enhancement of reforms and transformation.

The Strategy for Actions envisages implementation of it in five stages, each having a separate annual state program to be approved every year in accordance with the declared slogan of that year.

The realization of the first track of the state program, Improving the state and society building, provides for the consolidation of the role of the Oliy Majlis in the system of government, a radical perfection of the quality of legislative activity, cementing the role of political parties in public life.

It is planned to introduce measures to improve public administration, especially reform the civil service, reduce state regulation in the economy, develop modern forms of mutually beneficial cooperation between the public and private sector and the e-government system.

Securing effective dialogue with the people is one of the critical and pressing tasks of the state program, in connection with which it was expected to raise public control, further the advancement of NGOs, the media, and step up the role of mahalla in society.

The second track of the national program provides for measures on securing the rule of law and genuine independence of the judiciary. It envisages the establishment of the Supreme Judicial Council designed to ensure the independence of judicial decision-making, the formation of a professional judiciary, realization of measures to protect the rights and legitimate interests of judges.

It contemplates for the further specialization of courts and strengthen their apparatus by setting up administrative courts, regional appellate courts in the system of economic courts, and improve the procedural legislation in order to avoid bureaucracy and unjustified delaying of cases, the expansion of the powers of superior courts on self elimination of the weaknesses of lower courts and making the final decision.

Within this framework of this direction it was provided the realization of measures on establishing a direct dialogue with the people by the heads of all law enforcement and regulatory bodies, state and economic administration, government authorities in places, securing their accessibility to the public, timely receipt of complaints about violations of rights and freedoms of individuals and business entities. It also contains reforming of the system of notary and registry offices.

The realization of the measures mentioned in the third direction, "The development and liberalization of the economy" provides ensuring the stability of the national currency and prices, the gradual introduction of modern market mechanisms of currency regulation, expanding the revenue base of local budgets, developing foreign economic relations, introduction of modern technologies for the production of export-oriented products and materials, the evolvement of transport and logistics infrastructure, improvement of investment attractiveness for the development of business and foreign investors, betterment of tax administration, introduction of modern principles and mechanisms of regulation of banking activities, the advancement of diversified farms, as well as accelerated development of the tourism industry.

In 2017-2021, it is planned to realize sector-based programs providing for a total of 649 investment projects worth $ 40 billion. As a result, over the next five years, the production of industrial goods will increase 1.5 times, its share in GDP is to grow from 33.6% to 36%, the share of processing industry - from 80% to 85%.

The fourth track, "Development of the social sphere" provides for the introduction of measures to bolster employment, improve the system of social and citizens’ health protection, the advancement and modernization of road transport, engineering, communications and social infrastructure, improving the provision of electricity, gas, and quality of social care for vulnerable segments of the population, enhancing the status of women in public and political life, reforming the healthcare system, securing the availability of pre-school educational institutions, improving the quality and development of general secondary education, specialized secondary and higher education.

In particular, it provided the execution of employment programs through the creation of 256.4 thousand jobs by the realization of about 25 thousand investment projects for integrated advancement of the territories. In the regions with the highest unemployment rate it is projected to create 46.8 thousand jobs and to allocate loans for 10 thousand graduates of educational institutions to start a business.

There were also included measures on the support of the older generation, improvement of the issuance order of social benefits, reforming the healthcare sector. Thus, it is planned reconstruction of 78 regional medical associations, 7 urban and 2 regional diversified medical centers, provision of emergency medical services with 1,200 units of special vehicles.

In rural areas it is scheduled to build 15 thousand affordable houses, 415 km of water supply ways, 316 km of gas supply ways, 291 km of internal roads. In order to improve the quality of transport services to the public it is planned to introduce 86 new bus lines and to buy 537 modern buses.

The fifth track, "Ensuring the security, interethnic harmony and religious tolerance, balanced, mutually beneficial and constructive foreign policy" provides for the realization of measures on the protection of the constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the republic, bettering the system of information and legal base in the field of cyber security, organization and development of the public warning system for emergencies, mitigation of the Aral Sea disaster, as well as development of the concept for priority policy directions in the field of interethnic relations and the concept of public policy in religious sphere.

There will be allocated 37.7 trillion soums and 8.3 billion US dollars for the realization of aforementioned measures of the state program.

Introduction of the Strategy for Actions will come to be a potent impetus for reforming and modernization of the country, building a democratic state ruled by law, with a developed market economy a robust civil society.

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