President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a conference call government meeting to increasing incomes in neighborhoods, reducing poverty and unemployment, and setting goals for 2026.
According to him, the material and technical capabilities of provincial governors and district mayors, as well as officials in charge of neighborhoods, have significantly improved in recent years. Mirziyoyev called on officials to critically evaluate their own effectiveness:
"To what extent are they utilizing all the conditions and opportunities created? What results are they achieving? Are our reforms reaching every family, every household? How do people feel about it? There are many such questions. All officials must be prepared. The year is coming to an end—today, after analyzing the results, I will draw conclusions regarding some of them," the head of state said.
According to official data, the unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9% year-to-date (5.5% the previous year), and in several cities—Bukhara, Navoi, Zarafshan, Gazgan, Samarkand, and others—it has dropped below 4%, approaching the "natural unemployment" rate for the first time.
302,000 families have been lifted out of poverty, and the poverty rate is projected to drop to 6% by the end of the year (8.9% in 2024). For the first time, 1,435 neighborhoods have been designated "poverty-free."
The president praised the Uzun district as exemplary: 160 billion soums have been allocated for employment and development projects, $70 million in investment has been attracted, 47 businesses have opened, and over 2,000 microprojects have been implemented. As a result, poverty in the district has decreased from 10.5% to 3%.
Meanwhile, he noted that the Denau district mayor’s office, which received 4.5 times more funds than the Uzun district mayor’s office, had essentially "let its work slide": the incomes of 1,200 families included in the low-income registry remained unchanged.
The situation is similar in the Chiraqchi district. This year, the district received 309 billion soums in loans to develop entrepreneurship in neighborhoods, but the mayor’s office has yet to provide people with ready-made projects that match their capabilities.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered the sacking of Denau district mayor Ilkhom Abrorov, his first deputy Sh. Turakulov, Chiraqchi district mayor Faizulla Yusupov, and his deputy Z. Ergashev.
The head of state noted that 20 mayors have serious shortcomings and a formalistic approach to employment issues. The Prime Minister has been given a directive to take appropriate steps against the mayors of the Yashnabad, Bukhara, Gijduvan, Kasan, Khatyrchi, Kumkurgan, Yangiyul, Uzbekistan, Gulistan, Yakkabag, Andijan, Parkent, Tashkent, Nurabad, Uchtepa, Chartak, Davlatabad, Altynkul, Kizirik, and Kagan districts.
The work of neighborhood bankers, who allocated preferential loans to ineffective projects, has also been criticized. Those responsible have been instructed to strengthen oversight, conduct work in neighborhoods, and ensure the effectiveness of the projects.
Year-to-date, 261 officials have been sacked for failing to meet poverty reduction and employment targets, and another 492 have received disciplinary sanctions.
Plans for 2026
The President stated that the main goal next year wiould be reducing poverty and unemployment to below 4.5%. While, 450 trillion soums in credit resources will be allocated to support the economy in 2026, 140 trillion of which will go to small and medium-sized projects in neighborhoods.
"The most vulnerable group of families remains. To lift these 400,000 families out of poverty, the first deputy mayors of provinces and districts, heads of employment services, banks, and members of the 'neighborhood seven' must change their worldview and work style," the head of state said.
