The region has seen some progress in the energy, construction, and entrepreneurship sectors in recent years. Following the President’s visit to Saykhunabad district last year, a new support model for household farms and small business projects was introduced.

However, the insufficient initiative of leaders is hampering the development of industry, trade, and the services sector. In particular, the share of the services sector in the economy of Syrdarya region remains the lowest in the country. The poverty rate exceeds 11 percent, and the number of unemployed people reaches 22,000.

Today, global economic conditions are changing rapidly. In such a situation, regions that actively study trends, seek new opportunities, and effectively utilize internal resources gain a competitive advantage.

To this end, proposals have been developed to increase investment volumes and improve the business environment in Syrdarya region, reduce poverty levels, and effectively utilize the region’s transit potential.

In particular, it is planned to establish industrial zones covering a total area of nearly 900 hectares. This will attract $5 billion in investments and create more than 20,000 new jobs. The projects will be located in Syrdarya, Shirin, Bayavut, Khavast, Mirzaabad, Gulistan, Oqoltin, and Sardoba.

Geographically, the region is located in the central part of Uzbekistan, where the international highways M-39, M-34, A-373, and A-376 intersect, carrying 311,000 vehicles daily. Entrepreneurs are ready to open hundreds of trade and service points along these roads.

In total, the creation of 500,000 square meters of retail and service space is planned, which will employ 50,000 people.

Thanks to favorable soil and climatic conditions, the region has high potential for growing cotton, rice, fruit and vegetable crops, and melon crops. Consequently, the areas under cultivation for potatoes, onions, raspberries, currants, and cherries will be expanded. Processing enterprises and exporters will be established on household plots, field outskirts, and areas adjacent to canals, covering 38,000 hectares.

Additionally, in eight districts of the region, it is planned to convert 25,000 hectares of low-yield land for rice cultivation. To support rice-growing farms, they can export 50 percent of their harvest.

The region has over a thousand houses built more than 50 years ago. As part of a renovation program, modern residential complexes with a total capacity of 15,000 apartments are planned to be constructed in their place, considering the positive experience of the city of Margilan and Dustlik district.

To ensure the affordability of new housing, developers will be provided with tax and customs incentives. In addition, $100 million will be allocated for the modernization of roads, power grids, housing stock, and irrigation infrastructure, as well as for renovating kindergartens, schools, and other social facilities in the region.

It has been instructed to allocate the necessary funds and complete, by July 1 of this year, the work to ensure an uninterrupted drinking water supply to Gulistan. Proposals to expand the territories of the cities of Gulistan and Shirin to accelerate urbanization processes have been approved.

Thanks to the opportunities considered, it is planned to attract $2 billion in investments this year and increase export volume to $500 million. As a result, more than 16,000 new jobs are expected to be created, and the poverty rate will drop to 7.4 percent.