On July 7, 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a comprehensive presentation on deploying a unified integrated digital platform for public administration, accelerating the startup ecosystem, and enhancing the business environment within the telecommunications sector.
Driven by recent systemic reforms, Uzbekistan has climbed 24 positions in the UN E-Government Survey. The country has set a strategic milestone to secure a spot among the top 30 nations globally in this ranking by 2030.
The expansion of digital services highlights this rapid momentum:
- In 2024: The number of digital services stood at 525, with 4 million active users.
- In 2026 (Projected): The lineup is set to expand to 880 services, serving an estimated 15.5 million users.
1. Unified digital platform and national systems
Currently, the fragmented nature of databases and information systems across various state agencies limits comprehensive data analysis and hinders streamlined decision-making. To address this, the government has proposed a phased rollout of a unified integrated digital platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This system will consolidate regional economic indicators, investments, environmental data, security matters, public grievances, mahalla (local community) prosperity metrics, and geospatial data into a single interactive map and dashboard. Following the President’s directives, this digital governance system will be deployed in the capital city of Tashkent this year, before rolling out nationwide next year.
The presentation also outlined two critical infrastructural initiatives:
- Unified national classification system for goods and services: This will harmonize conflicting code structures currently used by customs, tax, and statistics agencies, thereby reducing administrative costs and cutting bureaucratic red tape for businesses.
- National Navigation System: Aimed at reducing reliance on foreign platforms, this system will standardize internal geographic data to optimize transport, logistics, emergency services, and urban planning.
2. IT Exports and the startup ecosystem
According to the international “StartupBlink” index, Uzbekistan advanced 31 spots, earning recognition as the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem. Tashkent captured the top spot among Central Asian cities, while Samarkand and Fergana entered the global TOP 1000 startup cities for the first time.
Strategic Targets for 2030: Elevate IT exports to $5 billion, foster 5,000 active startups, and attract $2 billion in foreign direct investment.
To sustain this momentum, a suite of aggressive support mechanisms will be introduced:
- The “Talent Hub” Program: This initiative will enable foreign experts and investors to remotely establish legal entities, open bank accounts, and obtain international payment cards.
- Tax Incentives: Corporate and income tax exemptions for IT-Park residents and their personnel will be extended until 2040.
- Export assistance: The government will partially subsidize payroll expenses for IT exporters, compensate international certification costs, and offer financial relief for relocation expenses associated with bringing in foreign clients and tech specialists.
- Regional acceleration: Over 20 specialized startup acceleration programs will be launched in Bukhara and Fergana to help local startups scale into international markets.
3. Telecom infrastructure and youth entrepreneurship
While nationwide telecom coverage has expanded from 41% to 98% in recent years and overall internet bandwidth has surged 65-fold, the adoption rate of wired broadband in remote rural areas remains low. Furthermore, local entrepreneurs still find market entry into telecom services challenging.
To cultivate a highly competitive business environment, the following structural adjustments were approved:
- Two separate licensing tracks for telecommunications network design and construction will be merged into a single streamlined license.
- The processing window for license issuance will be slashed from 25 business days down to 10.
- Newly constructed multi-apartment residential buildings must now integrate high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure directly into their initial design and construction phases.
To foster grassroots innovation, the “Future Entrepreneur” (Kelajak tadbirkori) program will offer aspiring young tech entrepreneurs credit lines of up to 530 million UZS at a 15% annual interest rate, featuring a 7-year maturity term and a 2-year grace period. Additionally, subsidized promotional tariff plans will be structured for businesses operating out of remote and isolated regions.
Approving the proposed strategies, the Head of State issued explicit directives to top officials to expedite inter-agency data integration, safeguard cybersecurity and personal data protection, and continually lower entry barriers for the private sector.
