The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan and the World Bank have signed an agreement for a concessional loan of $50 million to implement the "Digital Inclusion" project, as announced by the press service of the international financial organization.
During the sidelines of the spring meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, Vice President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia, Antonella Bassani, discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Jamshid Kuchkarov, the support for the Uzbekistan government's efforts in implementing market reforms and its strategies to respond to the consequences of climate change.
The parties also signed a financing agreement for a project that will assist Uzbekistan in building a digital economy, including development, attracting investments, and creating new jobs in the IT services sector.
The concessional loan is expected to help employ around 9,000 young people from rural and remote areas of Uzbekistan, including 4,500 women and 360 persons with disabilities, in IT-related services.
Another aspect of the project involves establishing up to 11 regional IT services centers across the country, offering modern office spaces. These measures are aimed at encouraging IT companies to open their branches in various regions of Uzbekistan.
