According to the expert, the situation after the arrival of Shavkat Mirziyoyev has not changed a lot.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the republic more open, started to develop its economy more widely. At least, that is what the country’s leadership says. The head of the state holds meetings on the development of economic sectors and export production 5 times a year. President criticizes officials for weak economic performance. However, the country is still developing. CentralAsia.news editors decided to look at the successes of the Uzbek economy from an outside perspective. In this regard, the news agency interviewed the head of the Society of Political Emigrants of Central Asia Bahrom Khamroev.
Successes exist
It should be noted that the expert is well known for his harsh statements about the politicians of Uzbekistan and the system created there. Nevertheless, even he admits that the republic's economy is actively developing. It is not only about the traditional sphere - agriculture. Industry and manufacturing are also developing in Uzbekistan. Deposits of gold and rare earth metals are actively developed. Some of the raw materials are exported.
- More than 50% of the territory of Uzbekistan is promising in terms of oil and gas production. Tens of millions of tons of standard fuel are included in the volume of the annual production of hydrocarbon raw materials, - marked the specialist.
The textile industry, which is one of the main components in Uzbek exports, has become a significant direction in the development of the economy. Dozens of states buy the products.
Traditional problems
Despite the successes marked by Bakhrom Khamroev, the republic's economy is still not fully developed. The expert believes that the main problem in this direction relates to politics.
According to the interviewee, the first problem of the Uzbek economy is corruption, which has "taken roots." The "shadow sector" occupies a significant part of the economy of Uzbekistan.
The situation with migration also has a negative impact. Although, thanks to foreign transfers of migrants, several billion dollars come into the country every year. Khamroev noted that every year millions of Uzbek citizens leave the state to work in the CIS countries. He noted that not all people believe in the development of the national economy.
Unjustified hopes
The expert reminded that after the death of President Islam Karimov and the "arrival" of Mirziyoyev, the population of Uzbekistan pinned their hopes on the new leader. The specialist highlighted that the expectations of the people have not been met.
In his opinion, from the global perspective changes in the economy of Uzbekistan are not visible.
- The small business sector remains at the same level, reform in this direction is impossible. An "economic boom" is impossible without radical, fundamental changes. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the geographical location and demographic potential of the republic, - said the interviewee.
Khamroev considers the investment and financial policy of the Uzbek authorities to be partly a failure. An opposition-minded expert stated that foreign investments from the Russian Federation and China primarily resolve the issue of the welfare of the president and his entourage.
The expert also marked the powerful growth of Uzbekistan's external debt. Under Karimov, according to Khamroev, the debt did not exceed 6 billion dollars. Tashkent currently owes more than 25 billion dollars.
Khamroev believes that contradictions between the branches of government impede economic development. To solve this problem, it is necessary to seriously optimize legislation. It is worth working on the development of democratic freedoms in Uzbekistan.
- Unfortunately, in Uzbekistan, the society is dominated by the personality cult of the president, his power, but not the rule of law. The same situation was under the previous leader. To gain true independence and stability in society, which will serve as an impetus for real economic growth, it is necessary to determine the observance of the law as the highest goal, - concluded Khamroev.
Editorial board adds that after the arrival of Mirziyoyev, trade was intensified, the republic started to actively develop the production of products for export. The President made a bet on creating a "link", when not only ministers but also heads of regions, as well as diplomats, are responsible for exports and investments. In particular, his decree in 2018 expanded the list of tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and made employees of diplomatic institutions responsible for attracting investments, assistance in increasing exports and developing trade relations abroad.
