Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan S. Umurzakov headed a telephone conference dedicated to implementation of forecast export indicators through practical measures to use available resources and identify additional reserves for accelerated growth in export volumes in the fourth quarter of this year. Heads of ministries, departments, industry associations, diplomatic missions of the Republic of Uzbekistan abroad, commercial banks, as well as executive authorities of regions, the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Tashkent city attended the meeting.

The attendees noted practical measures to support exporters. In particular, the Export Promotion Agency allocated funds to replenish the working capital of exporting enterprises and the Entrepreneurship Supporting Fund provided guarantees for exporters to receive credit resources.

They also noted that despite these measures some industries and regions at the moment lag behind the expected export indicators. In view of this, heads of the relevant ministries, departments, industry associations, and local executive authorities received instructions to increase export volumes in the 4th quarter of this year in relation to indicators of 2019.

Executive officers received instructions to develop kickoff plans to increase export volumes specifying exporting enterprises, the range and volumes of export-oriented products, the need for raw materials, the need for credit resources to replenish working capital, pressing concerns with their solutions that require the assistance of diplomatic missions abroad, etc.

Here, the attendees considered the progress of projects focused on the creation of value chains and increase of export potential with a view to regional investment programs. They disclosed the need to prioritize export-oriented investment projects and provided instructions to increase the share of projects aimed at the production and export of products with high added value in investment programs for 2021-2023.

In addition, they provided instructions to hold an inventory of the export-oriented investment projects put into operation in order to analyze the structure of their exports, identify the most popular commodity positions in foreign markets and implement measures to actively promote and increase the export of these products involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Export Promotion Agency.

The attendees emphasized the significancy of targeted work to assist in the return of previously paid value added tax to exporters. In total, since the beginning of the year, VAT refunds have been made to 1,300 exporting enterprises. There was disclosed the need to continue systematic work to identify and resolve issues in this area. To do this, there were instructions to assign responsible employees of regional divisions of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the State Tax Committee to each exporting enterprise.

The meeting emphasized the need in coordinated efforts of relevant ministries, departments and local executive authorities, as well as diplomatic missions abroad in order to unconditionally fulfill the goals set.

The General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan will constantly monitor the execution of these instructions.