On June 13 this year, under the 'Entrepreneur-Reformer' initiative aimed at the consistent improvement of the business environment and the expansion of opportunities for business, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov held a meeting of a working group formed for relevant purposes involving the heads of relevant ministries, departments, sectoral business associations and commercial banks in Fergana.

There was set an objective: through direct communication with local entrepreneurs and field visits to review pressing concerns and problems faced by regional business and listen to ideas and proposals of business representatives with the prospect of their further implementation through an open dialogue.

During the meeting, the participants decided to assign the heads of the relevant regional, city and district ministries, departments, state authorities to the business entities totalling in the region more than 36 thousand.

The priority for the work with the entrepreneurs is the efficiency: the term for cases considering and issues resolving should not exceed 3 days after receipt of the application. To establish a prompt response system, the participants received instructions to create a 'business-chat' based on the most common messengers, as well as special call centers and visiting receptions for entrepreneurs in district and city khokimiyats.

Specialists from relevant ministries and departments will separately consider incoming ideas and proposals. The main goal is to identify systemic factors and concerns that impede entrepreneurial activity to improve the work of local public authorities and establish effective interaction at the business-state level.

The participants received targeted instructions to ensure prompt resolution of issues related to the allocation of credit funds, application of tax preferences, allocation of lands, empty buildings and structures, connection to utilities and, moreover, to make a thorough inventory of such issues based on incoming requests.

A number of cities and districts of Fergana region will have branches of leasing companies to provide agricultural and engineering equipment to  farmers and entrepreneurs under mutually agreed terms.

Considering the specifics, significant production, and export potential of the region, as well as its population, they set a task to organize an established system to issue required credit resources to small and medium-sized businesses, which will enable an increase of a number of quick-start productions in short terms and to increase production output and ensure occupancy of local population. Moreover, the participants proposed to implement the model of 'production-makhallya' system of an economic partnership providing active involvement of locals to handicraft and domestic labor through family-owned business.

There will be established interaction of local entrepreneurs with created Project Factory. It is aimed at the development of new promising investment projects involving talented young people and countrypeople residing and maintaining business abroad.

The heads of relevant ministries, departments, and local authorities received instructions to develop proposals to establish small industrial zones in the districts of Fergana region focused on the processing of agricultural products, manufacture of food, construction materials, and light electrical articles.

After the meeting, the executive officials from relevant state structures and local authorities were made personally responsible for the timely and high-quality implementation of the announced initiatives and instructions specifying certain deadlines.