Welfare Improvement Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period of 2013-2015.

Welfare Improvement Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period of 2013-2015 is nationwide cross-sectoral policy document, which has as its main goal identification of both priority areas of action and the most effective measures and tools of socio-economic policy, in order to achieve the sustainable and quality growth of population welfare along with sustainable economic growth of the country. It envisages improvement of healthcare, increase of employment rate and environmental protection issues.
Healthcare sector reforms are aimed at optimization of healthcare institutions, while implementing a program for combating tuberculosis and oncological diseases. Environmental and ecology measures shall address environmental security issues, in particular the Aral Sea zone and environmentally vulnerable areas. Employment rate increase envisages creation of no less than 950 thousand new jobs through the establishment of small enterprises and micro-enterprises in rural areas that specialize in processing agricultural products and providing services to the national population. The Strategy envisages improvement of access to public utilities, providing access to drinking water, modernization and enhancement of sewerage systems, developing the waste disposal. Agricultural and rural development envisage to ensure an 18 per cent increase in the gross agrarian production from 1 hectare of cultivated land and an increase in employment as a source of income generation and improvement of the population’s welfare. The development and improvement of the infrastructure of the agro-food market shall be implemented through the following measures: (a) the development and implementation of measures designed to provide support to entities that offer market services to structures that can quickly adapt to market conditions, and can ensure the growth of qualified jobs within rural areas; and (b) the improvement of agrarian science, and the introduction of mechanisms designed to stimulate the application of scientific and technological advancements, as well as innovations into agricultural production. Ensuring gender equality issues envisage improvement of the institutional mechanism for achieving gender equality, introduction of the mandatory state gender examination of all socially-significant plans and projects, enhancing of economic opportunities provided for women and stimulation of entrepreneurial activities among women by improving the system of financial services such as crediting and micro-financing.