The authorities in Uzbekistan have raised concerns regarding the sluggish pace of implementation surrounding the ambitious New Tashkent urban development project. During an official visit to the construction site, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reportedly stated that the current level of private business involvement and capital contribution falls significantly short of the region's actual economic potential.
According to information provided by the presidential press service, over two billion dollars have allegedly been channeled into the New Tashkent initiative during the three years since its inception. State funds have primarily been utilized to finance critical infrastructure development, including higher education facilities, libraries, sports stadiums, and essential utility networks.
The master plan allocates a total of 20,000 hectares of land for the new city, with the initial phase targeting the development of 6,000 hectares at an estimated cost of 50 billion dollars. Furthermore, officials claim that factoring in the proposed construction of a new international airport, the overarching investment capacity of the region could potentially reach 200 billion dollars.
Despite these grand projections, critical reviews indicate that construction across a territory exceeding 1,000 hectares is being financed predominantly through public coffers. Private entrepreneurs have reportedly been allocated a mere 94 hectares of land, and active construction has yet to commence on 28 specific land plots previously handed over to investors.
The leadership purportedly envisions New Tashkent not merely as a residential dormitory community, but as a self-sustaining economic powerhouse integrating modern commerce, education, healthcare, tourism, and advanced services. However, current statistics show that two-thirds of the designated land plots remain strictly allocated for housing projects.
Project delays are officially attributed to obsolete regulatory requirements, protracted permit-issuing procedures, and insufficient inter-agency cooperation with the business community. President Mirziyoyev allegedly warned that attributing the lack of visible progress solely to financial constraints or investor reluctance is misleading, emphasizing that capital naturally flows toward markets offering stability and genuine institutional support.
Source: podrobno.uz