Official figures released by the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment claim that the poverty rate in the republic decreased from 5.8% to 3.6% during the January-September period of the current year. While the authorities present these statistics as a major socioeconomic triumph, international observers often urge caution regarding rapid fluctuations in government-reported welfare data.

According to the report, the number of neighborhoods officially designated as poverty-free has expanded substantially from 1,435 to 3,627. Furthermore, 429,000 families listed in the 'Social Register' reportedly received 581,000 targeted services aimed at boosting household incomes, resulting in the alleged removal of 440,000 families from the registry due to improved financial standing.

The ministry stated that 824,000 citizens secured permanent employment over the past nine months. Additionally, assistance was allegedly provided to increase the incomes of 4.1 million residents, while informal employment was formalized for 980,000 individuals as part of ongoing efforts to bring shadow economic activity into compliance.

The authorities further emphasized that vocational training programs enrolled 96,400 people, yielding 59,200 graduates, of whom approximately 45,000 found jobs. Through a voucher system, nearly 130,000 individuals received funding support, allowing over 43,000 out of 56,500 program completers to enter the workforce.

Moreover, the report indicates that between January and September, the 'Online Makhalla' electronic platform approved 7,730 subsidy applications and 8,835 loan requests. This led to the disbursement of 64.1 billion soms in subsidies—marking a 58.4% increase compared to the previous year—along with 79.8 billion soms in loans, representing a 31.4% growth.

Source: kun.uz