Nation's Agency for Youth Affairs convenes youth leaders to discuss their challenges
With 60% of the population under 30, nation making major investments in youth
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced a series of new initiatives designed to create even more opportunities for the nation's young generation.
In a meeting Friday with youth representatives from across the country, the president announced the formation of a bank dedicated to help fund projects from young entrepreneurs and tax incentives designed to encourage employment of people under the age of 30. The new programs are in addition to the 'Yoshlar Daftari' (Youth Notebook) program which the president introduced eight years ago to stimulate education, youth employment and youth entrepreneurism.
Simultaneously, new figures were released showing that the Yoshlar Daftari program has had a major impact by driving down youth unemployment by 50%, delivering a major increase in academic qualifications and tripling the number of young entrepreneurs.
The new figures show that systematic reforms aimed at ensuring the comprehensive development of young people have strengthened their active participation in society, with support to 155,000 young people through more than UZS345 billion (US$26.4m) of financial assistance. While helping to solve many pressing issues faced by young people, the initiative has also supported students, young workers and aspiring entrepreneurs.
In the eight years since 'Yoshlar Daftari' was launched, the number of young entrepreneurs has tripled and 40% of the business community now consists of young people, demonstrating their growing role in the economy.
Uzbekistan's youth policy has been recognized at the international level: it is among the 10 states most actively implementing the United Nations' 'Youth - 2030' strategy.
"Today, our motherland is entering a new historic stage of its development. During this period, we naturally face difficult tasks, obstacles and challenges that we have not faced before," the President told the group. "However, no matter how difficult it is, we will definitely achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves."
The 'Yoshlar Daftari' initiative has also helped to drive significant achievements in education, with the number of Masters' students increasing seven-fold. And thanks to state-funded tuition, the number of female students in Master's programs has risen eleven-fold, a significant step toward ensuring equal access to education for all.
"If we train one girl, then we train the whole family," President Mirziyoyev said. "If the family is educated and enlightened, then the whole society will become educated and enlightened."
There has also been substantial progress in the scientific field, with the number of young researchers gaining academic degrees doubling to 4,357. And while only 800 young people studied abroad in the preceding quarter century, some 2,300 students have taken advantage of opportunities to study at leading overseas institutions in the past seven years, via support from the 'El-Yurt Umidi' Foundation. Such programs are crucial for gaining international experience and training globally competitive professionals.
Language learning has played a significant role in the global success of young Uzbekistanis, with two million students learning foreign languages over the past three years, with the number scoring the highest IELTS English language exam increasing five-fold.
During the meeting, the President listened to ideas, while encouraging new initiatives and proposals. He supported valuable suggestions put forward by young representatives and instructed officials to develop clear plans and programs for their implementation to enhance the social, economic, and scientific potential of youth and expand their future opportunities.
Several new projects are planned for implementation in the youth sector based on the President's directive.
Notably, under the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Fund managed by the government's Youth Affairs Agency, US$100 million is to be allocated to support innovative business ideas. This will provide significant opportunities for young entrepreneurs to stimulate their growing potential and readiness for large-scale projects. Under this initiative, young entrepreneurs can receive preferential loans of up to UZS2.5 billion for business startups, while new projects can receive investments of up to UZS2 billion. This initiative is intended to inspire young people to realize their dreams and contribute to economic growth.
The President also announced the 'Alokabank' will be transformed to provide support for business projects and startups. With $200 million in funding, this new bank will offer preferential loans ranging from UZS 100 million to UZS 5 billion for up to five years in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and services.
For service sector entrepreneurs, tax incentives will also be offered to companies hiring employees under the age of 30, helping young people gain employment to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market.
Another key initiative is the establishment of creative industry parks, providing young people with opportunities to engage with and learn about innovative ideas. The introduction of a preferential tax regime until 2030 and the establishment of business schools will support success in creative and innovative industries. It is anticipated that these new parks will become ideal spaces for learning modern business strategies and mastering new methods of service delivery.
The initiatives announced by the President are all aimed at supporting youth, expanding their opportunities, and strengthening their role in society. They encourage active participation in the economy, education, arts, and other fields, motivating young people to achieve their dreams and to support the nation's emerging prosperity.
About the Agency for Youth Affairs
https://gov.uz/en/yoshlar
The Agency for Youth Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a state organization engaged in bringing state youth policy to a new level, effectively solving problems in the youth sphere, comprehensive support for youth, as well as organizing and coordinating the activities of authorized bodies.
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