The Cabinet of Ministers issued a resolution on September 8 approving the measures to organize the cotton harvest campaign in 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Remuneration for 1 kg of hand-picked raw cotton at the first stage will be 1000 soums, or US$ 0.1, at the second stage- 1400 soums (in 2019, 800 to 1200 soums, respectively). The resolution also established the pay for machine picking - 920 thousand soums per 1 ton (last year - 600 thousand soums).
In Jizzakh, Tashkent and Syrdarya provinces, as well as in some districts of Karakalpakstan, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya provinces, pickers will receive an additional 200 soums for each kilogram of cotton.
The Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan, governor offices of provinces and districts shall be responsible for preventing the involvement of employees of educational, medical and other budge-financed organizations, as well as pupils and students of educational institutions, to the cotton harvesting process.
It is recommended to pay salaries every five days, and if necessary - daily.
Earlier, the Deputy Minister of Labor, Bakhodir Umurzakov, said that hired workers would be attracted to pick cotton only on the basis of an agreement. He also promised that during the cotton season labor legislation and recommendations of international labor organizations will be strictly observed, forced and child labor will be prohibited.
The resolution notes that cotton-textile clusters and cooperatives have the right to independently set prices, but they should not be lower than the recommended ones.
Civil law agreements shall be entered into between the leaders of the cotton picking teams and the unemployed, as well as temporarily unemployed citizens, to involve them in seasonal work. For the chiefs of the detachments, a salary of at least 2 million soums shall be established. These costs will be covered by the Public Works Fund under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations.
As an exception, imported cotton harvesting equipment, components and spare parts shall be waived from customs duties until September 1, 2021 (except for VAT and customs registration fees). Importers shall be given the opportunity to defer the payment of VAT up to 270 days from the moment the equipment is placed at the customs in the "release for free circulation" mode.
