Tax Holidays, 40 Billion Soums for a Fund, and a Deepfake Detection Platform: Uzbekistan Proposes Sweeping Media Support Reform

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan's authorities have put out for public consultation a draft presidential decree representing the most comprehensive package of state support for domestic media in recent years.

The document combines tax incentives, direct subsidies, competitive grants for journalists, expanded powers for professional associations, and the creation of a fact-checking platform — including tools to detect illegal AI-generated content.

Three-Year Tax Holiday for the Entire Industry

The centerpiece financial measure is an exemption from corporate income tax for media organizations from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029. For the same period, customs duties on imports of printing equipment, modern photo, radio, and television technology, and paper are proposed to be zeroed out — provided comparable goods are not produced domestically and are included in an approved list.

A separate provision calls for full exemption from all taxes on funds received by periodicals established by state bodies and organizations in connection with their statutory activities.

National Fund: 40 Billion Soums Annually

The draft envisages establishing a National Fund for Media and Journalism Support under the Journalists' Union of Uzbekistan — without creating a separate legal entity. Its primary funding source would be an annual state budget subsidy of 40 billion soums.

The fund would also be permitted to attract voluntary contributions, grants from international financial institutions and foreign donors, and income from placing temporarily idle funds in bank deposits.

Proceeds are earmarked for strengthening the material and technical base of the Journalists' Union and its regional chapters, paying salaries, bonuses, and allowances to staff, funding the national Oltin Qalam (Golden Pen) award, and supporting the official websites and social media accounts of periodicals.

Grants for Non-State Broadcasters

A structurally new element of the document is a mechanism for financially supporting non-state television and radio channels through fund resources. Support would be awarded competitively — in the form of grants, commissioned projects, and targeted financing — based on proposals from the Journalists' Union and the National Media Association of Uzbekistan.

Funded projects must focus on socially educational topics, national values, education, legal literacy, healthy lifestyles, family, youth, and regional development. A monitoring and performance evaluation system would apply to all funded media projects.

Awards, Grants, and Stipends for Journalists

Members of the Journalists' Union would benefit from a layered set of financial incentives. Each quarter, the authors of the 20 most relevant publications would receive a cash prize of 30 base calculated values — approximately 12.4 million soums. An annual competition for the 100 best analytical pieces would pay 100 BCV (41.2 million soums) per work.

A dedicated line supports young journalists: each year, on a competitive basis, contracts would be funded for 50 talented journalism students at local universities — up to 40 BCV (16.5 million soums) per student.

A special program called "Journalism Solutions" would provide annual grants for producing 12 pieces on corruption issues and potential remedies — 150 BCV (61.8 million soums) each. For 300 of the most active Union members, voluntary life insurance premiums of at least 50 million soums would be covered. Journalists who are state award laureates or recipients of the Oltin Qalam prize would, from 2026, receive partial reimbursement of housing rental costs: up to 10 BCV per month in Tashkent and up to 5 BCV in the regions.

Expanded Powers for the Journalists' Union

The document significantly broadens the institutional capacity of the Journalists' Union. The organization would gain the right to participate in pre-trial dispute resolution involving its members, and to be present at any stage of judicial proceedings in cases related to journalistic activity — except closed hearings.

The Union would also be empowered to submit proposals for subsidies, grants, and social contracts for media outlets through the Public Fund for Supporting Civil Society Institutions under the Oliy Majlis.

Infrastructure: Buildings, Studios, and a Sanatorium

The draft contains a number of specific property-related decisions. The Tashkent city administration is instructed to carry out a major overhaul of the building at 16 Navoi Street in the Shaykhantakhur district by December 31, 2026, and to equip it for press conferences. The Journalists' Union is to be provided free of charge with premises in the building of the Uzbek National News Agency at 32 Matbuotchilar Street.

Regional chapters of the Union would receive annual local budget subsidies of up to 3,000 BCV (1.24 billion soums) starting August 1, 2026. The Tashkent regional administration is tasked with completing the reconstruction of the Oktosh creative retreat in the Bostanlyk district by the end of 2026; the facility will be handed over to the Media Content Training Center. A health and wellness center for Union members is also planned on the Oktosh grounds.

The Business Development Bank (BRB) has signaled its readiness to take on leadership of the Journalists' Union's "Friends Club" and to provide annual sponsorship to strengthen the organization's material base and establish a modern media studio.

Fact-Checking, AI, and a New Journalism Education Standard

Among the most technology-focused measures, the Ministry of Digital Development is tasked with helping the Journalists' Union launch a fact-checking platform to detect false and unreliable information, including illegal AI-generated content.

In parallel, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Media Content Training Center, and the Journalists' Union are instructed to develop an updated higher education curriculum in journalism — incorporating courses on AI, the legal foundations of the profession, and new working methods. The updated curriculum is planned for introduction in the 2028/2029 academic year.

The Anti-Corruption Agency is invited to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the Journalists' Union, with an emphasis on the legal protection of journalists covering corruption-related topics from pressure and threats.

The draft decree is currently in the public consultation phase; no official timeline for its adoption has been announced.