President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced new measures to strengthen the budgets of mahallas (neighborhoods) at a meeting on July 16. It is planned to increase revenues to 1.6 trillion soums by 2026 and to 2 trillion soums starting the following year. Initially, it was planned to leave 600 billion soums at the disposal of mahallas in 2026.
According to a presidential decree signed in June, the share of land and property tax revenues remaining in mahallas has been increased from 10% to 15%. Also, 10% of fines for violating sanitary rules and illegal construction will be transferred to their budgets.
In addition, mahallas are allowed to independently sell vacant buildings with an area of up to 5,000 square meters. This is expected to generate additional revenues of 405 billion soums.
Furthermore, 5% of land and property taxes on non-residential facilities will be transferred to mahallas. According to the president's calculations, this will bring another 400 billion soums annually to their budgets.
At the end of the year, 200 mahallas will receive bonuses of 2 billion soums each. The funds will go to areas that registered the most entrepreneurs, created the most jobs, ensured the highest revenues, and identified the most additional sources for the tax base.
The meeting also discussed support for family entrepreneurship. This year, an additional 2 trillion soums in preferential resources were allocated to relevant projects. For "difficult" mahallas, the interest rate on loans was reduced from 17.5% to 12%.
Starting August 1, mahalla bankers will be able to direct these resources to projects they find themselves. KPIs will be set for them to increase business activity, develop entrepreneurship, create jobs, and increase population incomes.
District and city khokims (governors), together with mahalla chairmen, must develop specific tasks for each mahalla banker by the end of the year.
State banks this year proposed to specialize 100 mahallas. Last year, with the participation of nine state banks, Agrostar companies were established to develop agro-industry in mahallas.
Now banks should not be limited to specializing territories, but with the involvement of Agrostar, create a full production chain: "growing — processing — storage — packaging — sale".
The president instructed to prepare a relevant program within a month and begin its implementation in 1,000 mahallas.
It is recalled that vacant land plots in mahallas are planned to be sold through auction for private kindergartens, schools, clinics, and sports facilities. According to the president, mahalla chairmen will have such powers. Decisions will be made based on the needs of a specific area.
For projects to solve social problems, improve landscaping, and increase population incomes, each "mahalla seven" will be allocated grants of 10 million soums. Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that the mahalla chairman should become a "real manager of his territory." No more than three mahallas will be assigned to one banker.
Source: www.gazeta.uz