Uzbekistan Targets Bureaucracy Cuts in State Services

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals aimed at reducing bureaucracy and further simplifying the system of public services for citizens and businesses.

Officials said during the presentation that the scope of public services in Uzbekistan has expanded significantly in recent years. The number of services has increased tenfold to more than 61 million, while around 80% are now provided online. In 2025 alone, more than 2,000 mandatory requirements for businesses were abolished.

Despite the reforms, the system still contains excessive procedures, paper-based documentation and overlapping requirements. Government agencies currently perform 5,650 functions, while more than 42,000 mandatory business requirements and 1,041 public services remain in force.

“Such a large number of functions and requirements can make the system inefficient, costly and sometimes unfair. Therefore, the only correct path is deregulation, digitalization and simplification,” Mirziyoyev said.

To support the reforms, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have launched the “Eliminating Bureaucracy – 2030” program. A dedicated project office has been established under the Agency for Strategic Reforms and Development.

Under the program, the government plans to cut state agency functions by 30%, optimize up to 20% of business requirements and raise the share of electronic public services to more than 90% by 2030.

Officials presented proposals for introducing a “service state” model designed to provide fast and convenient services without unnecessary paperwork. The “zero bureaucracy” principle is expected to be introduced across 783 public services.

Authorities also plan to digitalize 550 services and halve the number of stages required to obtain them. Another 80 services are expected to be provided proactively and in composite formats. According to government estimates, these measures could save citizens up to 35 billion soums annually in transportation costs linked to visits to government agencies.

Processing times for another 80 services are expected to be reduced from an average of 13 days to six days. Ten services are set to be fully automated, while lower fees for 25 services could save citizens up to 851 billion soums annually.

The reform package also предусматривает transferring 10 services to the private sector and digitalizing 15 types of certificates and official documents. This would eliminate repeated information requests across more than 270 public services.

Another block of proposals focuses on revising mandatory business regulations. Officials cited an example in which more than 500 separate requirements are contained in 20 documents regulating market activity. Systematizing these rules is expected to reduce more than 30% of existing requirements.

Authorities also proposed introducing an electronic system for issuing sanitary compliance certificates and managing employee medical examination records. Officials estimate the measure could save around 1 billion soums in budget expenditures annually and free up 24,000 working hours.

According to government estimates, reducing the administrative burden could generate a direct economic effect of US$1.5 billion per year. Improved regulatory quality could attract an additional US$800 million in foreign investment, while simplified interaction between businesses and the state could raise labor productivity by about US$750 million annually.

Overall, the anti-bureaucracy measures are expected to add an extra US$13 billion to Uzbekistan’s economy between 2026 and 2030.

To manage the reforms, officials proposed creating unified registries of government functions, mandatory requirements and public services on the reestr.gov.uz platform. Authorities also plan to introduce a performance evaluation system for agencies based on the Bureaucracy Radar tool, artificial intelligence analysis and a “Business Calculator” to estimate costs borne by entrepreneurs.

Following the presentation, Mirziyoyev instructed ministries and government agencies to review their functions, eliminate excessive requirements and accelerate service digitalization. Relevant bodies were ordered to prepare a draft resolution containing concrete plans for reducing bureaucracy, expanding digitalization and increasing private sector participation in public service delivery.