The key facts

  • A 'Center of Future Technologies' with benefits equal to those of IT Park residents will be created in Nurafshan
  • Raw materials and components for robots, electronics and technological equipment will be exempt from import duties; income from scientific developments will not be taxed
  • Tasks have been set for projects in Andijan, Tashkent and Kashkadarya; industry exports are planned to reach $5 billion

New center and tax benefits

On November 9, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with representatives of the electrical engineering industry, entrepreneurs and investors, as reported by the press service of the head of state. On his instruction, a 'Center of Future Technologies' will be created in Nurafshan: enterprises located there will receive benefits on par with IT Park residents. Raw materials and components needed for the production of robots, electronics and technological equipment will be exempt from import duties, and income from scientific developments in these areas will not be taxed.

Why a unified ecosystem is needed

The goal of the new measures is to expand the number of high-tech production facilities and form a unified ecosystem that will supply the economy with modern equipment, industrial robots and electronics. According to the president, the groundwork already exists: the Eltech technopark in Akhangaran produces microprocessor modules, and a robot manufacturing project is being implemented in Tashkent with the participation of Korean partners. Dozens of enterprises already produce technological equipment for the textile industry, metalworking and construction.

New projects and the export target

The meeting set tasks for launching high value-added production: in Andijan — office equipment and finished cable kits; in Tashkent — servers, interactive panels and touch sensors; in Kashkadarya region — electronic boards for televisions. According to the president, such products will meet domestic demand and bring exports up to $5 billion. He invited more than 10 foreign investors and over 100 local entrepreneurs participating in the meeting to join the new projects.

Context: industry growth over ten years

Additional figures are provided by Daryo.uz: over the past 10 years, $2 billion has been invested in the electrical engineering industry, 413 new production facilities have been launched, and the output of more than 100 new types of products has been mastered — from household appliances and solar panels to electronic meters and high-voltage transformers. Production volume this year reached 50 trillion soums, compared with 1.7 trillion in 2016; investments amounted to $600 million and exports to $1.6 billion (a 14-fold increase). At the same time, the president noted that the industry's potential is not being fully utilized and its development needs to be accelerated. Earlier, Spot.uz reported that global electrical engineering brands investing $50 million in Uzbekistan will receive a 10-year tax exemption.