President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on measures for the socio-economic development of Sokh District in Fergana Region. The meeting highlighted that Sokh, an exclave of Uzbekistan within Kyrgyzstan's territory, was previously considered a remote area with limited transport and logistics capabilities, weak economic ties, and difficult access. However, in recent years, significant changes have been implemented in the district, including the construction of new roads, kindergartens, schools, medical facilities, and housing, simplification of border crossing procedures, and improvement of conditions for entrepreneurship.
In Sokh District, 88.6 thousand residents live in 25 neighborhoods, with 29 preschool institutions, 33 schools, 2 secondary specialized educational institutions, 14 medical facilities, and 2 cultural objects in operation. The meeting emphasized that the changes in the district reflect not only infrastructure renewal but also increased economic activity and reintegration into the regional economic system.
At the same time, it was noted that the poverty rate in the district stands at 7.9%, and the unemployment rate at 5.5%, which is above the national average. This year, plans include attracting $40 million in investment and achieving $15 million in exports, aimed at ensuring growth of 9% in industry, 17.1% in services, and 7.6% in agriculture.
The meeting underscored that Sokh's unique nature, clean air, rivers, and cool climate offer significant opportunities for tourism development. Proposals were made to organize tourism zones along the Sokh River, in the Sarikand, Ravon, and Istiqlol neighborhoods, as well as to establish a medical services cluster combining rehabilitation, physiotherapy, drug logistics, and medical education. Plans involve attracting $60 million in investment for tourism and services, creating about 2,000 jobs, increasing tourism service volume to 15 billion soums, and expanding exports to $2 million.
It is planned to launch 10 micro-projects in each neighborhood, totaling 300 projects, and train 8,600 residents in professions. Banks will allocate 64 billion soums for these goals and an additional 74.5 billion soums for developing the social sphere and infrastructure. In agriculture, projects include establishing fruit orchards on 425 hectares, saffron plantations on 60 hectares, potato cultivation on 100 hectares, developing fisheries, and organizing 30 water basins for trout farming. Additionally, plans involve reclaiming 800 hectares of land through the construction of an 8-kilometer irrigation network between the Devayron and Tuldasht settlements.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that the main goal of developing Sokh District is to significantly improve people's lives, increase population incomes, create jobs, and further strengthen the district's transport connectivity.
Source: www.gazeta.uz