At a meeting of the regional Kengash of People’s Deputies in Gulistan on April 7, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev suggested the joint construction of an automobile plant in the Syrdarya region, in collaboration with Chinese partners.
“Why are cars not being produced in Syrdarya, close to Tashkent?” asked the president. “Let's establish a high-quality Chinese factory here. As we increase the number of automobile plants, prices will decrease, and quality will improve. We are indeed capable of achieving this,” he stated, as reported by Uzbekistan 24.
Note that today in Uzbekistan, cars are produced mainly in the Andijan, Jizzakh and Samarkand regions.
At the meeting, the President voiced five new initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of the Syrdarya population.
The region is slated to become a hub for advanced innovations, with special incentives offered for projects in 20 sectors, including biopharmacy, construction materials, agriculture, food, electrical engineering, medicine, and education. These projects will receive exemptions from land, property, income, and turnover taxes, as well as customs duties for a duration of three years. Plots of land within the zone will be allocated through a simplified process, and land and buildings can be purchased with five-year instalment plans.
As previously reported by Gazeta.uz, a $500 million Uzbek-Chinese biotechnology cluster is also set to be established in the Syrdarya region. In collaboration with top Chinese universities, an international education and research university, an innovative medicine clinic, the Central Asian Genome Centre, and a cell therapy center for cancer treatment will be developed in Gulistan. Additionally, the cluster will produce cutting-edge diagnostic devices, innovative vaccines, probiotics, and cancer medications.
A plot of land spanning 200 hectares will be set aside for the biotechnology cluster in Syrdarya, alongside the construction of educational facilities capable of hosting 10,000 students. These buildings will include a state-of-the-art campus, laboratories, and an engineering school.
In addition, 11 districts and cities in the region will focus on industries based on Chinese experience, supported by innovative technoparks that specialize in projects related to electrical engineering, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, construction materials, silk processing, and the food industry. The technoparks will function as free economic zones with a simplified “processing within the customs territory” system. A budget of 200 billion soums has been earmarked for the development of the technopark infrastructure this year.
In order to support investment endeavours in the Syrdarya region, a joint Uzbek-Chinese investment fund will be formed, with participation from China’s Silk Road Fund and other financial institutions. The fund will be capitalized with $1 billion.
It has been proposed to introduce highly developed agricultural technologies in Syrdarya. Hokim of the region will be advised by Chinese agricultural specialists and investors will be invited to modernize the systems of irrigation and land reclamation.
Plans have been put in place to establish livestock and poultry farms in Saykhunabad District, as well as intensive plantations for pomegranates, melons, pecans, and fish in Mirzaabad District, drawing from Chinese experience. In Khavat District, plans are underway to create facilities for the production of natural dyes from plants and a technology park for the storage, processing, and packaging of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, collaboration with top Chinese universities is expected to facilitate the development of salt- and drought-resistant crops as well as new breeds of cattle.
According to the President, the Syrdarya region will serve as a significant logistical hub connecting Uzbekistan to neighboring countries, such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, China, and Afghanistan. To achieve this goal, a new multimodal logistics center and transportation routes will be established in collaboration with Chinese investors, linking the eastern and central regions of Uzbekistan with foreign destinations.
Furthermore, the Uzbek President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, announced that an experiment aimed at involving the private sector in the construction, maintenance, and management of roads will be implemented in Syrdarya.
Mirziyoyev also revealed plans to develop the city of Gulistan as a center for innovative medicine, utilizing the outcomes of medical reforms and available opportunities.
