News

On May 27, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation of projects in the spheres of tourism and privatization of state assets.

The coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the travel industry. The World Tourism Organization predicts that by the end of 2020, international tourist travel will be reduced by 89 percent, 74 million jobs will be cut, and total losses to the industry will amount to $ 800 billion.

As you know, since March 16 this year, our country is closed for foreign and local tourists. As a result, more than 1.5 thousand tour operators and 1.2 thousand hotels have suspended their activities.

This seriously affected the incomes of more than 250 thousand people, including guides, artisans, workers of architectural monuments and resort institutions, catering facilities, transport and others.

To mitigate the effects of the pandemic, a number of preferences were provided to the tourism industry. In particular, 1,750 subjects were provided with privileges on property tax, land and social taxes in the amount of about 60 billion soums. But these benefits and preferences are temporary. For continuous sustainable development, it is necessary to learn how to work in a pandemic.

In this regard, foreign experience has been studied. The system of sanitary and epidemiological safety for tourists “Uzbekistan. Safe travel guaranteed ”(“ Uzbekistan. Safe travel guaranteed ”).

The head of state got acquainted with the presentation of this project. Information on plans for the restoration and development of domestic tourism is also provided.

The President stressed that, first, it is necessary to allow domestic tourism between regions with a "green" status. Instructions are given on organizing recreation centers in mountainous areas and on the coast of lakes using lightweight structures. Together with the khokims, the location of the recreation centers will be determined, the relevant data will be posted on the electronic portal.

At the second stage, it is necessary to form a list of countries with a stable situation in the coronavirus and gradually restore tourist ties with them, it was indicated at the meeting.

- For the resumption of tourism, first of all, there must be a clear answer to a number of fundamental questions. For example, how will the hotels operate, how will they receive tourists at the airport, how will they organize their movement within the country? The defined rules must be simple and yet sufficient to prevent disease. It is necessary to develop a system that does not require the quarantine of the entire hotel due to one case of infection, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Tourism entrepreneurs who have suffered losses due to the pandemic are unlikely to be able to cover them in the next 1-2 years. In this regard, the President stressed the need to provide additional benefits and preferences to this industry.

In particular, the previously granted exemption from the payment of tourist taxes will be extended until the end of the year. Also, enterprises in the industry, when calculating income tax, will be allowed to deduct losses incurred in 2020-2021 from the profits of subsequent years.

The hotels will receive subsidies in the amount of 10 percent of the cost of their services. In addition, they will be subsidized up to 10 percent of payments on loans allocated for working capital.

Competition is one of the most important conditions for economic development. It ensures the quality of goods and services, provides consumers with a choice. It is these goals that are pursued by the measures taken today to reduce the presence of the state in the economy and to combat monopolies.

Specific measures in this direction are defined in the Action Strategy for five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021 and the Presidential Decree "On measures to radically improve the system of state asset management, antimonopoly regulation and the capital market" dated January 14, 2019.

Currently, there are 2,965 state-owned enterprises in the country. Most of them work ineffectively, according to outdated methods. More than half of these enterprises are not even able to pay dividends.

At a meeting held on December 11, 2019, the President gave instructions to reform these enterprises on the basis of market principles, and to implement them to private investors. In accordance with this, a general inventory of such objects was carried out.

Since the beginning of this year, 299 state assets worth 348 billion soums have been sold. New investors have invested in these facilities a total of 3.3 trillion soums and pledged to create 4.7 thousand new jobs.

In particular, the former "Chorsu" hotel, the "Samarkandkimyo" enterprise, the state share in the "Uzbekistan" hotel and the Kungrad soda plant were sold. $ 425 million will be invested in these facilities, and 800 new jobs will be created.

During the presentation, information was provided on plans for the privatization of state assets, the identification and effective use of vacant areas and land plots, the introduction of corporate governance at state enterprises.

The President stressed the need to continue work in this direction, to speed up the transfer of about 1.4 thousand more state assets to private investors. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to approve the privatization program.

The State Asset Management Agency and industry leaders are tasked with liquidating 711 inefficient enterprises, reorganizing 262 enterprises, and transferring more than 500 markets to the private sector. The importance of introducing a new management system and reforming enterprises, which will remain at the disposal of the state, was emphasized.

Source: president.uz