As part of this program, the president also outlined additional measures to support youth. In particular, there are plans to expand the inclusive camp "Voice Up" and conduct similar events across the country. This year, the "Upshift" project will also be implemented, which includes competitions in the fields of media, design, crafts, and innovations, with 2 billion sums (approximately $163,400) allocated for financing the top 40 startups.
Technical colleges will have the opportunity to create subsidiaries for the commercialization of scientific developments, with up to 1 billion sums (approximately $81,700) allocated for promising projects. Starting this year, technical college students will be able to participate in the Work and Travel program, for which the government will provide loans for travel to work abroad. Support will also continue for youth with foreign language certificates.
An Association of Private Educational Centers is being established in Uzbekistan. Entrepreneurs renting premises to members of this association will be exempt from income tax on rental income and profit tax. Teachers at these centers will have the opportunity to intern at the best educational institutions.
Language training institutions in remote areas will be able to receive interest-free loans of up to 300 million sums (approximately $24,500). These centers will also be able to pay a social tax of 1%, and the income tax for educators will be reduced to 7.5% instead of 12%.
Tax benefits are also provided for institutions that offer free education to youth from low-income families, with the possibility of receiving a portion of taxes back in the form of cashback.
To promote volunteer activities, a Board of Trustees is being established, and a Volunteer Support Fund will operate under the Youth Affairs Agency. This fund will receive 20 billion sums (approximately $1.6 million) annually from the state budget and 3 billion sums (approximately $245,000) from local budgets to finance grants for volunteer projects.
Additionally, the "Second Chance" program is being launched in the country, aimed at the rapid adaptation of youth returning from places of detention. Intensive courses in programming, web design, computer engineering, and foreign languages will be organized for them.
The president emphasized that in recent years, Uzbeks have won 66 gold, 147 silver, and 221 bronze medals at international scientific Olympiads. Currently, more than 500 students from Uzbekistan are studying at prestigious universities abroad, and 63 startups created by local initiative groups have entered international markets.
Uzbekistan is rightly recognized as one of the most dynamically developing countries in the Global Youth Development Index. Upcoming events, such as the opening of the headquarters of the World Youth Movement for Peace in Tashkent and the Global Conference of Youth Parliament members in Samarkand, as well as the international startup summit Take Off and the 46th World Chess Olympiad, will further strengthen this status, the president concluded.
