Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the leather and footwear small industrial zone in Altynkul district, Andijan Region where a $28 million unified production complex covering raw material processing, manufacturing and sales of finished products is under development according to local media reports.
The complex spans 10.1 hectares with production buildings, a dual education centre and commercial facilities constructed across 5.5 hectares of the site.
17 projects with a combined production capacity of 150 billion soums are currently being implemented in the zone. 10 enterprises specialize in footwear and sole production, 2 in leather alternative such as synthetic materials and 2 in footwear adhesives. Other projects cover rubber footwear, uppers for specialized footwear and leather production.
The complex has created 2,500 jobs and currently exports products to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Specialists trained in Türkiye, China and Italy have been involved in production to improve quality and increase the competitiveness of local manufacturing.
During his visit, Mirziyoyev reviewed product samples and economic indicators before meeting with entrepreneurs.
Officials were instructed to combine local footwear making traditions with modern industrial technologies and improve working conditions across the sector.
Processing of leather, growing export oriented production and supplying the domestic market with quality footwear have been identified as the sector’s key priorities.
