$50 million to be allocated for startups in creative industries

A new initiative will support startups in creative industries like IT, tourism, design, and engineering with an allocation of $50 million. The goal is to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure, expand international service exports, and create new opportunities for young professionals in emerging sectors.

Photo: Presidential Press Service

Efforts will be intensified to develop creative industries such as IT, tourism, design, architecture, and engineering. Enterprises in these sectors will be able to lease state-owned properties that have not been sold within six months through direct contracts for a period of 10 years. If rent is paid on time for four years, the tenant will acquire ownership of the property.

Training centers in IT and foreign languages will be exempt from rent if their graduates obtain international certifications. At least five such centers will be established in each region, with a goal to train 100,000 young people.

The president has also called for a focus on exporting remote services in new areas such as accounting, consulting, insurance, and more. The goal is to align training with the demand for specialists in other countries.

$50 million will be allocated to support startups in the creative industries. The Ministry of Digital Technologies is tasked with involving compatriots working in major foreign tech companies in these projects.

The annual export of IT services is expected to reach $1 billion, with a total volume of 80 trillion UZS. The President emphasized the link between competitiveness in the service industry and digitalization, and warned that officials who delay digital infrastructure development are "opposing the policy of openness."

Delays have been noted in launching the real estate address registry by the Cadastre Agency and the transportation ticket purchasing platform by the Ministry of Transport. Each minister and regional governor has been instructed to set specific targets and deadlines for digitalization.

The Tourism Committee has been tasked with speeding up the development of a platform for tourists, which will allow booking hotel rooms, train and flight tickets, and tickets for theaters and museums. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice are also responsible for ensuring that electronic visas for foreign nationals are issued within three days.

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