Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  On 4 November, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals for enhancing legal protections for entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan.

Entrepreneurs are seen as the backbone of the economy, with an increasingly supportive business environment. Assistance is provided both to individual entrepreneurs in local communities and to large-scale projects, fueling interest and involvement in business.

A key approach involves developing measures based on proposals from entrepreneurs themselves, responding to current needs.

On 20 August 2024, the President held an open dialogue with entrepreneurs, during which issues and proposals were discussed. Based on this dialogue, measures were formulated to strengthen legal protections and streamline inspections.

Starting from 1 January 2025, only one measure of accountability will apply per offense. For instance, fines will be abolished for engaging in business without registration as an individual entrepreneur.

Additionally, administrative penalties will be lifted for violations related to digital labeling, fiscal tags, and concealing the number of employees.

To simplify dispute resolution, from 1 March 2025, a partial refund of state duty will be introduced if a court case concludes with a settlement between the parties.

A list of authorized bodies for monitoring entrepreneurial activities and their areas of oversight will also be established. Any inspections not listed will be prohibited. All inspections will be recorded in the “Unified State Control” information system, with mandatory notification to the Business Ombudsman.

Starting from 1 January 2025, inspections will be conducted based on an electronic “Risk Analysis” system, categorizing businesses into three risk levels. For this, the State Audit system of the Accounting Chamber will be integrated with the Business Ombudsman’s “Unified State Control” for unified reporting.

The presentation also addressed issues of preventing unlawful inspections and improving the skills of regulatory inspectors.

The President issued directives to refine the legal measures and ensure their fair implementation in practice.