Uzbekistan intends to provide jobs for 5 mln people in 2024

TASHKENT. Jan 9 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has familiarized himself with a program to create new jobs in the country in 2024, which envisages providing jobs for five million people, official Uzbek media reported on Tuesday.

"Five million people are planned to be employed this year by creating sustainable and high-income jobs locally. In particular, there are opportunities to provide employment for 2.5 million people in the service sector, 2.1 million in agriculture, 250,000 in investment projects and industry, and 140,000 in construction," the report said.

The program plans to involve two million people in businesses through the widespread introduction of new financial tools, in particular, a new microfinance system, the media reported.

"It was noted that 2.4 million people have become self-employed in recent years, now it is imperative to assist them in expanding their activities, gradual transition to small businesses and finding markets," the report said.

The importance of vocational training for those who have no previous work experience, as well as providing tax benefits to those companies that hire individuals from the social register, was highlighted.

Mirziyoyev instructed the Economy and Finance Ministry to identify additional reserves and opportunities for creating new jobs.

The official statistics shows that the number of unemployed in Uzbekistan is 1.3 million. Another 2.4 million people will enter the labor market this year.

Currently, around 2.5 million Uzbek citizens work abroad, including more than 1.5 million in Russia.

The Uzbek population is over 36.5 million.