At a meeting dedicated to the development of the Surkhandarya region, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, announced the intention of Chinese investors to invest 1 billion dollars in the development of the region's coal resources. As part of this project, the development of four promising deposits in the Saryasiya district is planned: "Korakon," "Zhemsomit," "Chukur," and "Bayram-1." According to the president, coal reserves in this area reach 100 million tons, but currently only 1% of the total volume is being extracted. To increase production volumes, relevant agencies have been instructed to launch work at the "Sanzhar" and "Oksuv" mines this year, as well as to start the development of the "Fangarta" deposit by 2027.
In addition to Chinese investors, the South African corporation Sosol is also showing interest in the region's resources, planning to launch the production of polypropylene, polyethylene, and rubber using local raw materials. President Mirziyoyev noted that the region's minerals could serve as a foundation for the development of the electrical engineering, chemical, and automotive industries. He also highlighted the untapped potential of the "Bezakhtop" deposit in Baysun, where natural stone exists that can compete with analogs from Turkey and Italy. Active geological exploration work is set to begin in this area soon.
These large-scale investments are aimed at stimulating social changes in the country. Despite the fact that the share of industry in the region's economy has increased fivefold in recent years, the potential remains not fully realized. Local authorities have been tasked with attracting 3 billion dollars in investments by 2026 and increasing exports to 1 billion dollars. The president emphasized that the result of these efforts should be the creation of new jobs and an increase in the population's income. It is expected that the implementation of new projects will help reduce the poverty level in the region to 2.8%, and cities such as Termez, Denau, and Jarkurgan will be able to completely eliminate unemployment.
