At a meeting dedicated to the development of the Surkhandarya region, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, announced the intention of Chinese investors to allocate 1 billion dollars for the exploration of coal reserves in the region. The development of four promising deposits located in the Sariasiy district is planned: "Korakon," "Zhemsonite," "Chukur," and "Bayram-1." According to the head of state, the area has impressive solid fuel reserves estimated at 100 million tons, but only 1% of this volume is currently being extracted. To address this issue, the relevant ministries have been tasked with launching production at the "Sanjir" and "Oksuv" mines this year, as well as starting the development of the "Fangarta" deposit in 2027.
China is not the only one interested in the resources of southern Uzbekistan. The South African company Sosol has also expressed interest, intending to establish the production of polypropylene, polyethylene, and rubber based on local raw materials in Surkhandarya. 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 pointed out the significant untapped potential of the "Bezaktop" deposit in Baysun, where natural stone comparable in quality to similar materials from Turkey and Italy is located. Active geological exploration work is set to begin in this area soon.
These large-scale investments are expected to act as a catalyst for social changes in the country. Despite the fact that in recent years the share of the industrial sector in the region's economy has increased fivefold, its potential remains far from exhausted. Local authorities have been given an ambitious task: to attract 3 billion dollars in investments and increase the export level to 1 billion dollars by 2026. The president emphasized that the results of these efforts should manifest in the creation of new jobs and a real increase in the population's income. It is expected that the implementation of new projects will reduce the poverty level in the region to 2.8% and eliminate unemployment in areas such as Termez, Denau, and Jarkurgan.
