Pursuant to the Action Strategy in five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, currently many areas and sectors of the economy are gaining momentum and reaching a new level of development. The textile industry is no exception. The constant process of communication with international experts, the search of ways to further develop and implement innovations are already yielding positive results. Dedicating the issue to the prospects of development of textile and sewing-knitting industry, first of all, according to tradition, we give the floor to the official in charge of development of the entire industry – Ilkhom Utkurovich Khaydarov, Chairman of the Association “UZTEXTILEPROM”.
– Ilkhom Utkurovich, which significant, important developments occurred in the textile industry with the establishment of the Association? How did the reform of the industry affect the state of the textile industry in our country?
– Thanks to the significant support and ongoing fundamental reforms, the textile industry of Uzbekistan has become one of the strategically important and dynamically developing sectors of the national economy.
Taking into account the opinions and recommendations of foreign consultants — the International Federation of Textile Manufacturers, International Finance Corporation, Consulting Company “GERZI” (Switzerland) and our partners “KOFOTI” (Korea), “CITI” (India) a seven-year Strategy for the development of textile and garment industry in Uzbekistan was developed and implemented. The Strategy, taking into account the international experience and competitive advantages of our country, reflects the assortment policy of the industry, and the target parameters of production, and the territorial aspect and exports, and issues of training and innovation, and technology policy… The most important direction of the Strategy is to attract domestic and foreign investments aimed at creating new high-tech industries, increasing the competitive level of the industry.
Let me give you a few figures: there are about 7,000 enterprises in the industry. If the volume of domestic processing of cotton fiber in 2016 amounted to 410 thousand tons, this year we expect its almost double growth up to 760 thousand tons or more than 80 % of the cotton produced in the country. Continuing the dynamics of rapid growth of economic indicators of the industry, achieved in just two years of reforms, by 2020 the capacity of textile factories will allow full, I emphasize, full processing of cotton in the country creating added value.
The situation is similar with exports, which by the end of this year will exceed the two billion mark in dollar terms.
Another important achievement is the launch of new facilities. So, if at the end of 2017, 33 projects were implemented for a total of 260.0 million USD, in 2018 there are already 60 projects worth 550.0 million USD. In 2019, it is planned to put into operation more than 50 investment projects for production of various fabrics, knitted fabrics, garments, hosiery, and the most important creation of modern dyeing and finishing industries totaling 600 million USD.
Moreover, new production facilities and, accordingly, jobs are created in the regions where 2-3 years ago there was no industrial enterprise – these are Kanlykul and Shumanay districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Yangiabad and Arnasay districts of Jizzakh region, Boz and Ulugnor districts of Andijan region, Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region, etc.
In addition, in September, the Korean-Uzbek Textile Technopark under Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry will start operations, the showroom and the co-working center of the enterprises of “Uztextileprom” Association are being actively built. All these new facilities will contribute to the multilateral development of domestic textiles.
Within the framework of the five initiatives initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the garment and knitting industry was chosen as the main one in terms of increasing the employment of women in rural areas. This is a large social project implemented by “Uzpakhtasanoat” already shows the first results: in dozens of labor-surplus areas, thousands of women are employed and exports of products have been started.
– According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures for accelerated development of the textile and clothing industry” the cluster method of development is being introduced. What are the advantages of cotton-textile clusters?
– Our industry is the first to respond decisively to the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev. Already in 2017 the cotton and textile production project was successfully implemented in Kiziltepa district of Navoi region. In 2018 already similar clusters were organized in 20 districts across the country on the area of 160 thousand hectares. Currently, 75 cotton and textile projects are being implemented on the area of more than 640 thousand hectares, initiated by the enterprises of the industry.
The most important is that organizers of cotton and textile industries while developing market relations in agriculture, are actively introducing advanced agricultural technologies and industrial methods of operations, dramatically increasing the level of mechanization, including cotton harvesting, establishing new cotton plants, applying rational mechanisms of water use (laser land planning, drip and sprinkler irrigation systems), attracting highly qualified foreign specialists and agronomists to the cotton industry. For example, “Indorama agro” involved experts from Australia and India, “Marokand Sifat Textiles” — from Greece, “Navbahor Textile” and “Art Sof Textile” — from Turkey, “Korea Samarkand” — from Korea.
I am sure that in the coming years we will witness a breakthrough growth in the yield of cotton to 60 centners per hectare and above.
– This year is significant for the maximum involvement of investments. To what extent has the investment policy of the Association ensured the increase of economic indicators of development of domestic textiles and contributed to solution of social problems?
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