Uzbekistan Accelerates Digital Transformation with Unified Navigation and Public Administration Platforms

Uzbekistan is advancing its digital transformation strategy with a comprehensive initiative to establish a national navigation system and a unified digital platform for public administration. At a recent high-level meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a package of proposals aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on foreign digital services and strengthening domestic IT and telecommunications sectors.

National Navigation and Digital Governance Platforms

Officials highlighted that Uzbekistan currently depends heavily on foreign navigation platforms, which limits control over geospatial data. The proposed national navigation system will set a unified standard for geospatial information, enabling improved services across transport, logistics, emergency response, urban planning, and public administration.

Furthermore, the government intends to implement a unified integrated digital platform that consolidates data from disparate government databases and information systems. Currently, independent development of these systems across agencies hampers data analysis and decision-making efficiency.

“The new digital platform will leverage artificial intelligence to analyze data, detect regional issues early, monitor policy implementation, and optimize resource allocation across public administration,” officials explained.

The platform will integrate information on regional economies, investments, environmental factors, public safety, citizen feedback, spatial data, infrastructure, and digital maps into a single accessible system. President Mirziyoyev instructed the launch of the digital governance platform in Tashkent within this year, with a nationwide rollout planned for the following year.

Standardizing Classification and Boosting the IT Sector

Another key proposal involves creating a unified national classification system for goods and services. Presently, customs, tax, and statistical agencies use different classification methods, raising compliance costs and complicating data exchange. A single system is expected to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for businesses and improve statistical accuracy and interagency cooperation.

The government reaffirmed ambitious targets for the IT sector, including raising annual IT exports to $5 billion by 2030, fostering 5,000 active startups, and attracting $2 billion in investment. Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem has made notable progress, climbing 31 places in the StartupBlink rankings and securing recognition as the world’s fastest-growing startup environment. Cities such as Tashkent, Samarkand, and Fergana ranked highly among global startup centers.

To attract talent and investment, the government plans to introduce the Talent Hub program, enabling foreign specialists and investors to remotely register businesses, open bank accounts, and obtain international payment cards within Uzbekistan. Support measures for IT Park resident companies will be extended until 2040, including tax incentives, expanded IT Visa and Zero Risk initiatives, and partial reimbursement for payroll and certification costs. Assistance with relocation expenses will also be provided to attract foreign clients and specialists.

More than 20 startup acceleration programs are scheduled for launch in Bukhara and Fergana to help local startups expand internationally.

Telecommunications Expansion and Regulatory Reforms

The telecommunications sector has seen coverage grow from 41% to 98% of populated areas in recent years, with total internet bandwidth increasing 65-fold. Despite this growth, officials acknowledge that the sector remains less attractive to domestic private investors and that fixed broadband penetration in remote areas is low.

To improve the investment climate, the government proposes merging existing license categories for telecommunications network design and construction into a single license, while reducing the licensing processing time from 25 to 10 working days.

New apartment buildings will be required to incorporate high-speed internet infrastructure during construction, ensuring fiber optic connectivity from the outset. Additionally, entrepreneurs entering the telecommunications sector can benefit from concessional loans up to UZS 530 million under the Future Entrepreneur program, featuring a seven-year repayment term, two-year grace period, and 15% interest rate. Preferential tariffs will be introduced for businesses operating in remote and rural zones.

Following the detailed presentation, President Mirziyoyev approved the proposed measures and directed officials to enhance government data system integration, improve digital public service quality, strengthen cybersecurity and personal data protection, and foster a more conducive environment for private sector participation in the digital economy.