The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a 100 million dollar loan to Uzbekistan as part of the Medium-Size Cities Integrated Urban Development Project, the bank’s press service reported.
The funds will be allocated by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which is part of the WB group.
“For the first time, the World Bank will finance a project on urban development in Uzbekistan. The project will help improve living conditions of people in Bukhara, Tashkent and Namangan regions, and will support the efforts of the government aimed at social and economic development of the regions,” Head of the World Bank Office in Uzbekistan Hideki Mori noted.
In Uzbekistan, medium-sized cities with a population of 50 to 100 thousand people play the role of a base for economic development of large cities. More than 40% of the country’s urban population (about 1.5 million people) live in cities with a population of less than 100,000.
The project, supported by the World Bank, will contribute to the development of urban infrastructure, public places and municipal services in middle-sized cities of Uzbekistan, in particular, in Kagan (Bukhara region), Chartak (Namangan region) and Yangiyul (Tashkent region). The total population of these settlements is 165 thousand people.
The project will strengthen the institutional capacity of central and local governments in the field of urban management, urban infrastructure, the provision of municipal services to the population, the development of urban transport systems, sustainable tourism and partnerships with the private sector.
The experience gained during the implementation of the project in the above pilot cities will be used in the promotion of the National Program for Development of Medium-Sized Cities in Uzbekistan.
The World Bank today funds the implementation of 19 projects totaling $ 3.4 billion to support the economic and social development of the country. These projects include support for macroeconomic reforms, agriculture, the water and sanitation sectors, health, education, energy, transport, and regional development.
