The meeting noted the necessity to develop the textile industry with new dynamics. A programme will be launched next year to export industry products worth more than $5 billion.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently asked the country’s textile and garment industry association to localise at least 50 types of products, promising $100 million in budgetary allocation for such projects to commercial banks. He also promised $50 million for carpet production, while chairing a meeting on the development of the domestic industry.

The state provides 70 per cent of transportation costs for the export of fabrics and knitwear to European countries, Turkiye, Egypt and Morocco.

Disruptions related to transport and logistics are affecting small-scale production units in Uzbekistan due to the difficult situation in the world prevailing now, President Mirziyoyev said. Production fell at 65 large enterprises in the country as well.

For the first nine months this year, the volume of industrial production in the country increased by 5.3 per cent. Small-scale production is also increasing in the country, a government newswire said.

Though funds have been allocated, infrastructure is yet to come up at the 118 industrial zones and the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+) is not fully utilised by exporters.

Europe now accounts for only 6 per cent of textiles, 3 per cent of electrical goods and 1 per cent of silk and food products exported from Uzbekistan.

These and other shortcomings, and priority tasks for the next year were discussed at the meeting.

“Heads of industries, hokims should look for opportunities in this difficult situation, use internal reserves, come up with proposals and initiatives”, president Mirziyoyev said.

The president also instructed authorities to provide guaranteed raw materials to manufacturers of household appliances, carpets and furniture to assist enterprises that cannot operate at full capacity.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)