Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has introduced a new electronic mechanism for allocating rights to collect wild plants as part of efforts to ensure the effective and rational use of natural resources and create favorable conditions for businesses.
Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 245 dated 15 May 2026 improved the procedure for collecting and harvesting wild plants used as technical and medicinal raw materials, as well as plants intended for food purposes. Under the document, the right to special use of plant resources is granted through electronic online auctions.
The new procedure is primarily aimed at digitizing and increasing transparency in the allocation of rights to use natural resources. Anyone can participate in electronic online auctions held within approved quotas.
Conducting auctions electronically allows rights to resource use to be allocated openly and competitively, creates equal conditions for businesses, reduces the influence of human factors and the number of unnecessary administrative procedures, and ensures that rights are allocated based on market principles with greater transparency for businesses.
The introduction of electronic auctions does not allow unlimited collection of natural resources. Each year, quotas for collecting and harvesting wild plants used as technical and medicinal raw materials, as well as plants intended for food purposes, are approved by the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change based on an opinion from the Academy of Sciences.
This approach ensures that the protection of plant resources and their sustainable use are maintained alongside economic interests.
The new procedure also reduces the documentation burden on auction winners. The auction protocol serves as the basis for obtaining a permit for the special use of plant resources.
Auction winners are not required to submit any additional documents. The procedure also does not provide for additional fees related to issuing the permit, allowing businesses to save time and money and making the process more convenient.
The electronic format provides businesses with a more open and transparent environment for obtaining rights to the special use of wild plant resources. Entrepreneurs can review information on the type of resource, the relevant territory, the approved quota and auction conditions before deciding whether to participate.
Electronic auctions are intended to shift the allocation of resource-use rights from an administrative mechanism to a competitive system based on market principles.
The reform aims not only to create additional opportunities for businesses but also to ensure the lawful, orderly and environmentally sustainable use of wild plants. Auctions are therefore held strictly within approved quotas, helping regulate the use of natural resources according to their capacity for regeneration, prevent illegal collection and harvesting, and preserve plant resources.
