Mirziyoyev Orders Higher Capacity Use at Firms in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reviewed a presentation on measures aimed at improving the sustainability of industrial enterprises and addressing challenges faced by businesses.

As noted during the discussion, the country is implementing large-scale programs to develop entrepreneurship, attract investment, and establish new production facilities. At the same time, a key priority remains ensuring the stable operation of existing enterprises, making fuller use of their potential, and increasing production and exports.

The analysis found that some enterprises in sectors such as textiles, construction, food processing, petrochemicals, and electrical engineering are operating below capacity or experiencing a decline in revenue. Among the main contributing factors are shortages of working capital, infrastructure access issues, project implementation delays, outdated equipment, disruptions in raw material supply, and weakening demand.

It is estimated that restoring operations and fully utilizing existing capacity could generate additional output and exports worth 65.6 trillion soums.

In this context, a new system of individualized support for enterprises has been proposed. A Republican headquarters is expected to be established with the participation of relevant ministries and banks, whose representatives will conduct field visits to identify problems and ensure their prompt resolution. Banks have been instructed to work with responsible agencies to provide enterprises with necessary financial resources, including loans and working capital.

Special attention was also given to large assets held on the balance sheets of commercial banks. Currently, there are 70 such facilities, each valued at over 10 billion soums. Authorities have been tasked with developing mechanisms to bring these assets into economic circulation, attract investors, and establish new production sites based on them.

Issues related to the evaluation of investment project effectiveness were also discussed. It was noted that some enterprises created between 2021 and 2025 within nearly 17,000 projects do not fully reflect their activities in tax and statistical reporting. A detailed analysis has been instructed to ensure proper administration.

The presentation also reviewed measures to improve the business environment. In particular, it was proposed not to classify signs displaying company names and types of activity as advertising, which would reduce administrative burden. Simplification measures were also discussed for the food service and retail sectors, including VAT refund mechanisms and environmental expertise requirements.

Significant attention was paid to the development of cashless payments and digitalization. Proposals included expanding convenient payment methods, introducing commission-free transfers between cards owned by the same user, and ensuring timely cashback payments. The possibility of optimizing SMS notification costs by transitioning to mobile applications and biometric solutions is also under consideration.

In the tax sector, it was proposed to eliminate disputed cases in the application of tax benefits and to limit penalty amounts to the principal debt. In addition, procedures for monitoring receipt issuance and VAT payer status are to be improved.

To simplify foreign economic activity, proposals include reducing duplicate import documentation, facilitating the opening of foreign representative offices, and more actively using exhibition platforms to promote national products.

The President emphasized the need to reduce excessive barriers for businesses, simplify regulatory mechanisms, and turn digitalization into a tool that improves the ease of doing business. Following the meeting, responsible officials were given instructions to increase enterprise capacity utilization, boost production and exports, and create new jobs.