Non-state theaters will be compensated for rent for 50 productions per year.
On June 2, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree providing for a range of support measures for non-state theaters and theater studios, including reimbursement of production costs and venue rentals.
Here's the rewritten text of the news:
**Non-state theaters will receive rent compensation and support for 50 productions annually**
Starting September 1, 2026, non-state theaters and theater studios will be eligible for state support. According to the new document, they will be reimbursed for the costs of producing up to 50 stage productions per year. In addition, a monthly compensation of a portion of rent for private premises is provided, which can reach 50 times the base calculated amount.
State cultural institutions will make their venues available to non-state theaters and studios for performances rent-free during their free time. If two or more companies apply for a single auditorium, a competitive selection process will be held.
An additional 10 billion soums will be allocated annually from the state budget to finance these measures.
Furthermore, from September 1, 2026, to January 1, 2036, non-state theaters and theater studios will be exempt from a number of taxes, including value-added tax, profit tax, turnover tax, land tax, and property tax. Their employees will also be exempt from personal income tax.
Starting July 1, 2026, a system of subsidies will be introduced for state and non-state theaters: 10,000 soums for each ticket sold for a performance performed at their own venue, and 20,000 soums for a ticket for a traveling performance in another region.
The decree also sets an ambitious goal: to increase the number of non-state theaters and theater studios to 50 by 2028, thereby increasing the private sector's share of the theater industry by 25 percent.