TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 8. The Department for
Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office of
Uzbekistan and British American Tobacco (BAT) Uzbekistan convened a
meeting to coordinate strategies for future investment and
production, Trend
reports, citing the department’s press service.
The discussions concentrated on the continued modernization of
the company’s production facilities and the introduction of new
product lines targeting both domestic and international markets. A
key objective for the forthcoming period is the expansion of
Uzbekistan’s export reach, building upon the company’s current
export volume of $95 million.
The parties also outlined plans to strengthen integration with
local agricultural supply chains, aiming to increase the
utilization of domestic raw materials and support the national
farming sector as part of BAT’s broader $530 million investment
portfolio in Uzbekistan.
Additionally, the meeting emphasized the ongoing reduction of
the shadow economy. While illegal tobacco turnover has already
declined from 22.4% to 7%, the participants agreed on a roadmap to
further enhance the regulatory and institutional framework. These
measures are intended to promote fair competition and facilitate
the expansion of legal product circulation through systematic
market controls.
