In 2025, 75% of budget funds allocated for unemployment benefits and financial assistance in Uzbekistan remained unutilized. Deputy Sayyora Imamova stated this on June 3, drawing attention to the need to improve the efficiency of funds directed at poverty reduction programs.
It was emphasized that last year, 45.5 trillion soums (11.9% of all state expenditures) were allocated from the state budget for poverty reduction programs. According to the deputy, only 63.9% of the 485.6 billion soums sent to the State Targeted Poverty Reduction Fund were utilized. Moreover, 48.6 billion soums, or 75% of the funds allocated through the relevant fund, remained unused. Imamova also cited subsidy data: only 27% of the allocated funds were used.
The deputy paid special attention to the situation with women's support. According to her, despite plans to provide subsidies to 40,000 women based on recommendations from khokim's assistants, only 7,000 people were able to benefit from this support measure. Thus, 33,000 women were left without promised assistance in entrepreneurship and employment.
In response, Deputy Minister of Employment Alisher Murodov stated that the failure to meet planned targets was due to changes in the support mechanism. Part of the funds previously allocated as subsidies were converted into loans. Additionally, the digitalization process affected the utilization rates.
As noted by the Deputy Prime Minister, 14 types of subsidies that were not in sufficient demand or showed low returns were abolished. Instead, new targeted support instruments for low-income families were introduced, including interest-free loans for entrepreneurial activities and employment assistance.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov assured that control over spending would be strengthened in 2026. "We will try to prevent such shortcomings this year. Special attention is being paid to the use of subsidies provided to women on the recommendation of khokim's assistants. We hope to present higher indicators and better results at the end of the first half of the year," Kuchkarov said.
Source: kun.uz