Mirziyoyev signed a large-scale reform package for business.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a large-scale reform package aimed at supporting and developing business. The decree "On measures to implement the objectives identified in the VI Open Dialogue of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan with entrepreneurs" covers eight key areas, from introducing a moratorium on inspections to developing digital platform employment. The document is the result of the annual open dialogue between the head of state and entrepreneurs, during which approximately 14,000 requests were received.

**1. Eliminating unnecessary interference in business:**

* A three-year moratorium on all inspections of small businesses has been introduced. Exceptions are inspections for criminal cases related to impacts on human health, labor law compliance, VAT refunds, and business liquidation.

* Any inspection of a small business during the moratorium will be considered illegal, and those found guilty will be held accountable.

* The Business Ombudsman will conduct an "Effective Control" event, analyzing inspection records from the past three years and conducting on-site visits. Reports will be submitted to the Presidential Administration every six months.

* From January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028, a legal experiment will be introduced for medium and large businesses involving voluntary tax audits involving audit firms. The tax authority will recognize their findings, and if any identified errors are corrected within 30 days, no fines will be applied. The Tax Committee will maintain a register of such organizations.

* A repeat business audit during the year is permitted only with the permission of the Business Ombudsman, with the exception of desk tax audits.

* A "Warning for the first error" rule will be introduced: if the violation does not cause harm to life, health, or property, no fine will be applied, and the entrepreneur will be given ten days to correct the deficiencies.

* Starting January 1, 2027, a system for continuously analyzing the reasons for the termination and suspension of business activities will be launched. The Ministry of Justice will ensure the automation of this system within three months.

**2. Reducing entrepreneurial expenses:**

* An economic amnesty, "Second Chance," has been announced for small and medium-sized businesses until December 31, 2026: upon full payment of tax arrears, penalties are written off, and enforcement proceedings are terminated. Penalties are not assessed for independently correcting reports and paying additional amounts. This requires that there be no other tax arrears as of January 1, 2027.

* Administrative liability for failure to submit a payment order to a bank for taxes is abolished. The unpaid portion of certain fines is written off. Previously executed employment contracts can be entered into the Unified National Labor System without a late payment penalty.

* Starting November 1, 2026, for businesses with remote electricity and gas meters, the prepayment rate will be reduced to 15 percent. Written consumption reports and paper-based energy supply contracts will be abolished. * The government has been instructed to reimburse businesses for the construction of utility networks for investment projects worth over 200 billion soums (50 billion soums for Karakalpakstan and Khorezm). Deposits for public procurement will be automatically refunded within 24 hours. Partial VAT refunds and tax benefits will apply regardless of the enterprise's sustainability rating.

* The maximum cash payment limit has been increased to 400 times the base calculation value.

* The Ministry of Economy and Finance, together with the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the Business Ombudsman, will conduct an inventory of fines within three months and prepare proposals to reduce them by an average of half.

**3. Strengthening business protection guarantees:**

* The "presumption of rightness of a business entity" has been established: a business is considered to have acted lawfully until a government agency proves otherwise. The burden of proof of the validity and proportionality of decisions rests entirely with the government agency. * All irreconcilable contradictions and doubts in legislation are interpreted in favor of the entrepreneur.

* If a court orders a government agency to reconsider a decision, it must do so within 30 days without worsening the business's situation. After this period, enforcement action in this case is prohibited.

**4. Support for Innovations and Startups:**

* The "Kelajak Tadbirkori" program will be implemented in 2027–2030. The National Venture Fund "UzVC" will finance up to 30 startup projects in eight priority areas (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, construction materials, water and energy saving technologies, agricultural technology, and aerospace) with investments of up to 5 billion soums per project in the form of an interest-free loan or a SAFE agreement. The state's share will not exceed 49 percent.

* Individuals who invest in registered startups are awarded the status of "Startup Investor." Their income from the sale of shares is exempt from income tax provided they have been held for at least three years.

**5. Expansion of financial support mechanisms:**

* JSC "Company for the Development of Entrepreneurship" will provide loan guarantees, bank guarantees, and leasing of up to 75 percent, guarantees of up to 2.5 billion soums for public procurement participants, preferential loans of up to 5 billion soums for disciplined entrepreneurs, and mortgages of up to 15 billion soums for the purchase of unused state assets.

* Joint-stock company "Business Fund" and LLC "Development of Microfinance Services" will be established under the Company.

**6. Development of tourism infrastructure:**

* Banks will cover a portion of the interest expenses on loans for the construction and reconstruction of hotels in excess of 16 percent in national currency or in excess of SOFR, EURIBOR, or SHIBOR rates in foreign currency. * Subsidies for the construction of three-, four-, and five-star hotels have been extended (until January 1, 2029), along with a 0.1% preferential coefficient for hotel property and land taxes (until January 1, 2030), and a customs duty exemption for imported buses and minibuses for the tourism industry (until January 1, 2028).

* Starting January 1, 2027, a zero VAT rate will apply to services provided by resident tour operators to foreign tourists.

**7. Improving criminal procedure legislation:**

* The procedure for the return of deposits in criminal cases is being simplified, with penalties for late payment calculated at the Central Bank rate.

* Material and moral damages to rehabilitated individuals will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance from the republican target fund based on a court decision. * The Prosecutor General's Office, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice have been instructed to draft a bill within three months to protect entrepreneurs from unfounded criminal prosecution.

The decree also amends several existing presidential and government acts, including updating the composition of the Presidential Public Council for Entrepreneurship Support and equating the maximum cash payment amount to 400 times the base settlement amount, instead of the previously set 25 million soums.