According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 16, 2024 No. 204 “On additional measures to introduce market mechanisms in the fuel and energy sector,” the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was instructed to review and publish the cost of minimum consumer expenses by May 1, 2024.
Based on this, in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for calculating the cost of minimum consumer expenses and the poverty line, the Statistics Agency recalculated the cost of minimum consumer expenses.
Thus, the cost of minimum consumer expenses, calculated from May 2024, amounted to 648 thousand soums per person per month (the cost announced in January 2024 was 621 thousand soums).
In world practice, it is widespread to use the minimum consumption indicator as a poverty line in a country, which looks like this:
- identify the target (targeted) population group in need of material and other social assistance from the state;
- when determining the poverty line, the characteristics of real consumption and the needs of the population of the target group should be taken into account;
- increase the effectiveness, targeting of tasks and activities mentioned in the strategies and programs to combat poverty, as well as their constant monitoring
- use this criterion to determine the minimum amount of pensions and benefits, as well as to provide other types of financial assistance to low-income families.