President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized that some mahalla leaders are not showing sufficient initiative in developing their territories. The head of state spoke about this today, July 16, during a videoconference meeting dedicated to introducing a new environment in mahallas and improving the activities of the "mahalla seven".
According to the President, this year, an average of 250 billion soums has been allocated to districts, and an average of 5.5 billion soums to mahallas, with the aim of improving infrastructure and creating favorable conditions for the population and entrepreneurs.
Additionally, as a result of expanding the powers of district governors and mahalla leaders regarding revenue, the volume of additional income remaining in the regions has increased up to twofold. In particular, an average of 22 billion soums was generated in districts, and around 150–200 million soums in mahalla budgets.
"Simply put, the governor, the mahalla leader, and in general, every representative of the 'seven' have the resources and authority to resolve issues in the territory. What is lacking is responsibility and initiative," said the President.
It was noted at the meeting that analyses show problems are not being resolved in a timely manner in some mahallas. This year alone, over 200 appeals were received from each of the 87 mahallas through the People's Reception Offices.
The President explained this situation by stating that some mahalla leaders are not developing master plans for their territories, are not seeking opportunities to convert vacant land plots and buildings into economic assets, and are also failing to put forward specific proposals and issues to the heads of higher organizations.
Furthermore, it was criticized that, although 7.5 trillion soums were allocated this year under the "Initiative Budget" program, not a single project was selected as a winner in 2,136 mahallas. The head of state emphasized that solidarity, engagement, and initiative in the mahalla should be assessed precisely through practical results.
Micro-projects aimed at providing employment for the population were also analyzed at the meeting. It was noted that over the past six months, banks allocated 18.5 trillion soums for small businesses and micro-projects. From this amount, 110,000 micro-projects were implemented, providing employment for 259,000 citizens.
However, as the President noted, only two micro-projects each were launched in 47 mahallas, indicating that existing opportunities are not being fully utilized.
