Since January 15 this year, a Working Group headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov involving the heads of ministries, departments, industry associations, commercial banks, and local authorities has been working to study the current state and develop measures to stimulate the accelerated social and economic development of Bukhara region on-site.

Members of the Working Group visited industrial facilities, enterprises, and ongoing investment projects in districts, cities, and makhallas, deeply analyzed and directly contacted with entrepreneurs to develop proposals to increase the industrial potential of the region and use all available opportunities to reduce poverty and ensure employment.

Here, the effective tool is a fundamentally new method 'Chairman of the makhalla is a reformer­', which provides a mechanism to identify existing problems on a bottom-up basis through active interaction with the chairmen of makhallas of districts and cities who are most aware of the current state of infrastructure, social facilities and the needs of the population, as well as to increase their involvement in the work to stimulate economic activity in supervised areas.

In view of this, a particular attention touched upon identification and use of new 'points of economic growth' at the level of makhallas, meaning the development of promising investment projects with a view to the industrial specialization of each individual makhalla.

The executive officers assigned to districts and cities of the region clustered as 'ministry or department - industry association - commercial bank' received tasks to provide specific measures to develop agriculture, industry, and services, create new jobs, reduce poverty and improve living conditions of the population.

This will result in programs of social and economic development for all 544 makhallas of the region, including targeted measures to increase production and export, improve utility and social infrastructure, and ensure employment of the population.

The Working Group will continue the work in Bukhara region in the coming week. The Republican Headquarters involving the heads of a number of ministries, departments, and industry associations, as well as the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan will monitor and coordinate the activities of the heads assigned to the districts and cities.