The Samarkand Automobile Plant SamAuto has officially come under the control of Turkish Anadolu Isuzu. The deal to privatize 75.2% of the state share was formalized on November 19, and the agreement amounted to $80 million. The buyer undertook to invest an additional $80 million in modernization and expansion of production, which effectively doubles the overall scale of investment.
Payment for the transaction was received on December 9 by the State Assets Management Agency, after which 1 trillion soums were transferred to the Republican budget on December 10. Thus, the financial part of the transfer of the enterprise to the new owner is fully completed. The Turkish side had previously obtained all the necessary permits from its regulatory authorities, which allowed the deal to be closed quickly.
The next step will be the conclusion of an investment contract, which will secure Anadolu Isuzu's obligations to develop the plant. It is expected that the modernization of SamAuto will significantly strengthen Uzbekistan's position in the regional market for commercial vehicles and attract new technologies to local production.
