President confers state awards

In accordance with the decrees of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, representatives of various fields were awarded honorary titles, orders, and medals on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. Today, August 27, a ceremony was held in Tashkent to present these awards.

The Head of State first congratulated everyone on Independence Day and elaborated on the essence of the efforts being made and the foundation of the results achieved in the country.

"In New Uzbekistan, we are all witnessing the tremendous results of the irreversible reforms being carried out. Over the past eight years, our gross domestic product has grown rapidly, reaching $115 billion. Today, I would like to share one figure for the first time: according to the forecast of the International Monetary Fund, our economy is expected to exceed $130 billion this year. In other words, such growth and such high recognition have never been achieved before,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It was noted that such achievements are the result of strong support for entrepreneurship, the establishment of modern industrial complexes, the transition to a “green” and innovative economy, the development of alternative energy sources, as well as the advancement of service sectors such as information technologies, tourism, and financial technologies.

Modern cities are rising across the country, while rural areas and neighborhoods are being improved. Over the past eight years, more than 500,000 multi-storey residential buildings have been constructed for the population, four times more than in the first 25 years of independence. To enhance neighborhood infrastructure and improve villages and roads, 60 trillion soums have been allocated. In addition, with $155 billion of investment, over 100,000 investment projects have been launched, creating sustainable income for more than 7 million people.

“These great historic achievements are the result of the large-scale reforms we have undertaken with careful consideration and, most importantly, the transformation in the mindset and worldview of our people. The economic strength and vast creative potential of New Uzbekistan are vividly reflected in the buildings we are constructing, the modern complexes, comfortable housing, schools and kindergartens, as well as healthcare, cultural and sports facilities. Above all, in every field, each accomplishment and result primarily serves to honor human dignity and to ensure the rights and interests of our people,” the Head of State said.

Over the past eight years, six times more funds have been allocated to social infrastructure compared to previous years. As a result, the number of preschool places has increased from 720,000 to 2.5 million. A total of 466 new schools have been built, creating nearly 1 million additional student places. The number of university students has risen from 279,000 to 1.5 million, raising the coverage of higher education to 40 percent. It was also noted that last week, on the occasion of Entrepreneurs’ Day, 168 of the most distinguished business representatives, hardworking farmers, and peasants were honored with the nation’s highest awards.

“I will never be tired of supporting and encouraging such dedicated compatriots and their initiatives. Of course, this is not without reason. As you all know well, ten years ago we mainly exported raw materials. Today, however, we have increased the volume of industrial products from $28 billion in 2016 to $62 billion. Had we not created favorable conditions for entrepreneurship in due time, would we have achieved such success? Certainly not,” the President said.

It was emphasized that today, business representatives have truly become the backbone of the national economy. Taking the construction sector as an example, this field has never developed as rapidly as it has now. In the past, construction was carried out solely based on state orders. Today, however, the number of private construction companies has exceeded 30,000, and the production volume of construction materials has approached $6 billion. At present, Uzbekistan has genuinely become a vast construction site.

In just the past year alone, construction works worth $23 billion were carried out, four times more than in 2016. Such large-scale changes can also be observed in agriculture, textiles, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and pharmaceuticals. It was emphasized that the country is focusing not only on industrial development but also paying special attention to the advancement of service sectors.

“In the past, tourism exports did not reach $500 million, but now they have surpassed the $3 billion mark. Seven or eight years ago, if someone had said that IT exports would reach $1 billion, who would have believed it? Most importantly, new knowledge and modern technologies have entered all sectors, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and forming an army of highly qualified specialists. In every field, New Uzbekistan has developed its own strategy and established a school of experience.

In creating this new history and new image of our country, you, along with our entire people, have also made a worthy contribution, and for this I express my deep gratitude to all of you,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The President also congratulated compatriots across the country who were receiving state awards. Afterwards, honorary titles, orders, and medals were ceremoniously presented to the awardees.

“The greatest purpose of our national independence is to show care for people, to honor their dignity and labor, and to give due respect to our noble nation. At this very moment, we all feel this truth even more deeply. May the great fortune of being recognized for your work and respected by the people never leave you,” said the President.

The awardees expressed their gratitude for the high attention shown to them and conveyed their best wishes to the people.