— Please briefly tell us about your professional career and how you came to this position. What did you do previously? What skills help you effectively perform the tasks assigned to you?
— I graduated from the Samarkand State Agricultural Institute with a degree in Economics. I began my career as a Chief Specialist in the District Statistics Department. Since 2022, I have been working as an Assistant Hokim for Entrepreneurship Development, Employment Promotion, and Poverty Reduction in the Guliston Citizens’ Assembly (mahalla). My professional background in statistics has also been very useful in my current position.
— Please describe in detail the location of your mahalla, the existing infrastructure facilities (roads, school, kindergarten, clinic, industrial enterprises), and employment opportunities for the population.
— In the Guliston mahalla, 7.5 km of internal roads have been laid, and there is 1 secondary school and 8 preschool institutions operating. There are no large industrial enterprises in the mahalla. The total population is 3,456 people, including 1,712 women. The number of households is 726, and the number of families is 833. There are 18 low-income families.
In order to improve the mahalla’s infrastructure, with the support of residents and sponsors, 192 households were provided with drinking water, 14 km of internal roads were covered with gravel, 6.5 km of drainage canals were cleaned, and 1 transformer and 20 reinforced concrete utility poles were installed.
— Where did you begin your work in the mahalla?
— First of all, I visited every household, got acquainted with residents, studied the economic condition and sources of income of each household, and based on this compiled annual work plans. To maintain constant communication with citizens, we opened a “Guliston” group on the Telegram mobile application. Currently, the number of participants exceeds one thousand. In addition to mahalla news, the channel highlights the activities of experienced entrepreneurs, business ideas, and practical initiatives being implemented in the region.
As a result of a comprehensive study, a full inventory of 3,456 residents and 726 households was conducted, and they were divided into 4 categories. Based on this inventory, a “road map” was developed to work with 369 households belonging to categories 1 and 2. We also identified growth points and driver sectors of the mahalla.
— What are the main drivers of the mahalla’s economic development? Why were these particular areas selected? What is being done to accelerate their development?
— Due to the mahalla’s geographical proximity to the city of Samarkand and the fact that the international M-39 highway passes through the district, there are strong opportunities for services (especially public catering) and trade. Based on this, these sectors were selected as the key drivers. In addition, our region is also suitable for the development of poultry farming, fish farming, and livestock breeding.
— Your mahalla has accumulated solid experience in developing services and trade. What results have been achieved in this area so far?
— In Jambay District, there are currently more than 400 entrepreneurs operating in the service and trade sectors. In particular, the mahallas of A. Kurbonov, Nazar, and Samarkand specialize in fish farming. These mahallas also have strong potential for aquaculture development, and the number of entrepreneurs in this field is growing every year. To date, fish ponds have been established for 140 households and greenhouses for 46 households.
Entrepreneurs are paying great attention to expanding business activities suited to the region’s climatic conditions. Our main goal is to increase the number of entrepreneurs and raise household incomes.
— How is the unemployment problem being addressed in the mahalla? Could you provide examples?
— This issue is always at the center of my attention. In particular, in 2022–2024, 207 unemployed citizens were employed at textile enterprises, 15 in public catering establishments, and another 60 at local enterprises in other sectors. In addition, to promote employment, 64 families were provided with sewing machines, and 198 citizens secured income through self-employment.
Moreover, residents received a total of 110 loans: 8 citizens obtained concessional loans for service businesses, 6 for livestock purchases, and 3 for opening small sewing workshops. Three duck farms, two catering enterprises, and 54 individual, family, and private businesses were also established.
— Please elaborate on the work carried out in the mahalla in 2025. What successes were achieved in terms of employment, vocational training, entrepreneurship support, assistance to low-income groups, and mahalla improvement?
— With my initiative and direct support, 37 new business entities were registered. Under family entrepreneurship development programs, 145 applications totaling 2 billion 215 million soums were received. Recommendations were issued for 52 projects worth 1 billion 575 million soums, which were forwarded for implementation. This year, 6 million soums in subsidies were allocated to 6 citizens from the Employment Promotion Fund.
Overall, employment was provided to 321 unemployed citizens, 6 low-income unemployed citizens were engaged in paid public works, and 43 citizens were sent abroad for work under labor contracts. A list of mahalla residents wishing to obtain vocational education was compiled, and 59 citizens were enrolled in training for new, in-demand professions in the labor market.
The full version of the interview is available at: here
Jamoliddin Turdimov, CERR
"Economic Review" Journal №12/2025
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