TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 19. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will support preschool education through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions, the bank told Trend.
The ADB has been appointed as a transaction advisor to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The bank is already providing similar advisory services for developing 100 preschools in the Samarkand region.
Expanding its efforts, ADB’s support in all five regions will enable the creation of up to 500 preschools nationwide, with around 100 preschools in each region. This initiative has the potential to benefit approximately 75,000 children, contributing significantly to the Uzbekistan-2030 strategy goal of upgrading its education system.
“ADB’s transaction advisory support will bring best practices in the management and operation of preschools and help enhance the quality and sustainability of preschool education. These projects mark another step toward ADB supporting private sector development in Uzbekistan. The projects will contribute to developing a foundation for an education system aligned with international standards,” the ADB Country Director for Uzbekistan, Kanokpan Lao-Araya, said.
Earlier, the ADB revised up the growth projection for the Caucasus and Central Asia to 4.9 percent from 4.7 percent for 2024 and to 5.3 percent from 5.2 percent for 2025. With a surge of fixed investment, Uzbekistan’s economy grew 6.6 percent in the first 9 months of 2024.