E-Government of Uzbekistan

• Main article: Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan IT market
• Cellular communications (Uzbekistan market)
• Economy of Uzbekistan
• Digital Uzbekistan

2024

E-government in Uzbekistan: What has already been done and planned

The key areas of the comprehensive program for the formation of e-government in Uzbekistan are the creation of a single digital space, optimization of processes, expansion of citizens' access to public services and data protection. Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic Khudoyer Meliev spoke about the implementation of the project on November 1, 2024.

According to him, a single ecosystem is being formed in Uzbekistan, in which various information resources and services of the Ministry of Justice will be integrated into a common platform. This is expected to simplify interaction for all market participants - from department employees to citizens using public services. Uzbekistan strives to make access to services as convenient as possible, ensuring rapid processing of information and effective communications between different bodies and institutions.

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Another important area of ​ ​ work is process optimization. We are talking, in particular, about reducing the volume of paper document circulation and automating routine operations to increase the speed of public services. Thanks to digital solutions, citizens can save time that was previously spent on paperwork and personal visits to institutions. As of the beginning of November 2024, this initiative has automated 120 types of licensing through the License system, which significantly speeds up the process of obtaining the necessary permits. In addition, a special service for business registration has been launched on the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services, which allows entrepreneurs to open bank accounts, as well as, if necessary, carry out the procedure for liquidating a legal entity.

As part of the formation of e-government in Uzbekistan, online services and mobile applications are actively developing that help citizens and entrepreneurs gain access to public services regardless of place and time. Such solutions, as noted, are especially important in remote regions where access to public institutions may be limited. For example, a mobile identifier (Mobile ID) has been implemented that allows citizens to be identified by a phone number. This simplifies access to services and reduces reliance on electronic signatures.

Initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence are being implemented in the republic. One of them is the Situation Center for monitoring the activities of public services centers in real time. The system allows you to track the workload of employees, the average waiting time and service of citizens, which makes it possible to quickly respond to emerging problems. The platform includes more than 3,000 surveillance cameras and the Qlick Sense system, which helps to analyze and improve service processes. In addition, Face-ID technology for biometric identification has been introduced, which provides reliable authentication of citizens when receiving public services.

In light of the ongoing digitalization, special attention is paid to cyber protection. The Ministry of Justice has implemented an information security management complex in accordance with international standards ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and plans to create a second data center to improve reliability. The agency passed ISO 37001:2016 certification, confirming compliance with a high level of transparency and anti-corruption sustainability in data management.

The Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan does not stop there and plans to continue the development of digital infrastructure. Further steps in the field of digitalization will contribute to the creation of a more open and convenient system of public services that meets modern requirements and expectations of citizens, says Meliev.[1]

A facial recognition system has been launched in Uzbekistan to provide public services. Passport not needed

At the end of June 2024, the introduction of a biometric identity identification (Face-ID) system for the provision of public services began in Uzbekistan. The innovation will allow citizens to receive various services without the need to present a passport, which will greatly simplify and speed up the process. Read more here

The World Bank issued Uzbekistan a preferential loan of $50 million for digitalization

The World Bank has provided Uzbekistan with a preferential loan of $50 million for the implementation of the Digital Inclusion project. This became known on June 25, 2024. This project is aimed at developing the digital economy and increasing access to IT skills for residents of rural and remote areas of the country.

According to the online publication "Газета.uz," a loan agreement was signed between the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan and the World Bank. At the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Antonella Bassani discussed with Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov support for market reforms and strategies to respond to climate change.

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Source - gazeta.uz

The goal of the project is to create favorable conditions for the development of IT services and attracting investment in the digital sector. The loan is expected to help employ around 9,000 young people from rural areas, including 4,500 women and 360 people with disabilities. The project provides for the opening of 11 regional ITES centers, which will provide modern office space for companies operating in the field of information technology.

According to "Газета.uz," these measures are aimed at stimulating companies to open their representative offices in the regions of Uzbekistan, which, in turn, will create new jobs and increase the level of digital literacy of the population. This initiative is part of the broader strategy of the Government of Uzbekistan to develop digital infrastructure and inclusive growth, which is in line with global trends and requirements of the modern market. Antonella Bassani noted:

Financing the project will help Uzbekistan build a digital economy, attract investment and create new jobs in the IT services sector.[2]

2022: A single data center for e-government was built in Uzbekistan

A single data storage and processing center of the Electronic Government system was built in the Zangiatinsky district of Tashkent region. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the work of this complex on August 27, 2022. Read more here.

2020:268 projects planned to be implemented in Uzbekistan by 2022

By 2022, it is planned to implement 268 projects in Uzbekistan aimed at the development of the Electronic Government system, telecommunications, the Technological Park of Software Products and Information Technologies, as well as the introduction of digital technologies into the economy, agriculture and water.

These projects should become the basis for the emergence of new high-tech enterprises and the entire digitalization of the economy.

The importance of further digitalization of the economy of Uzbekistan was noted in the January Address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Oliy Mazhlis. The head of our state outlined an active transition to the digital economy as one of the main priorities for the next five years.

On April 28, a presidential decree was adopted "On Measures for the Widespread Implementation of the Digital Economy and Electronic Government." According to the document, an integrated system dealing with the digital economy has been created in the Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications of the Republic of Uzbekistan. And now the tasks of the ministry will include the development of e-government, the digitalization of sectors of the economy and agriculture, the organization and management of IT parks^[3]

At the same time, the resolution indicates the directions and necessary amounts of financing for new projects. It is planned to implement 104 projects for 1.3 trillion soums in the framework of e-government, 87 projects for 5.3 trillion soums in the real sector of the economy, 35 - for 15.1 trillion soums in the field of telecommunications and others.

According to available data, the capacity of servers operating in Uzbekistan is already running out, and for the implementation of the planned projects it takes 10 times more, so it is necessary to build a new data center worth $30 million.

According to the decree, by 2023 it is planned to double the share of the digital economy in the country's GDP and triple the volume of services in this area with bringing their exports to $100 million.

On May 11, at a meeting on the widespread introduction of the digital economy and electronic government, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that the failure to fulfill this work in the next 2-3 years, every year the delay will cost the country 10 years of progress.

The head of state gave instructions to all ministries and departments involved in the implementation of projects to digitalize the economy.

As it turned out, only 30 percent of more than 700 information systems in state bodies are connected to the Electronic Government. Of the 80 public services agencies, only 27 are integrated with the Public Services Agency. Therefore, the task was set to introduce a new procedure providing for increasing the amount of bonus payments to heads of ministries and departments or reducing it based on the level of integration into their activities of information technologies.

The Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications of the Republic of Uzbekistan was instructed to classify databases of government departments, connect them to an interdepartmental integration platform and introduce uniform technological requirements for electronic interaction.

Among the tasks set for this year are the expansion of the local fiber optic network, an increase in fiber optic coverage in the preschool education system from 41 to 100 percent, in the public education system - from 40 to 70 percent, in health care - from 38 to 100 percent.

Recent studies prove that information technology can improve the efficiency of agriculture, land accounting and monitoring. Thus, space sensing of the soil can be used to study sown areas, the growing process, the reclamation state of the soil and the degree of mineralization. This allows you to increase the yield by 25-30 percent by accurately determining the necessary agrotechnical measures.

Another important document aimed at the development of the digital economy is the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev "On measures for the widespread introduction of digital technologies in the city of Tashkent" of March 17, 2020. It defines a comprehensive program "Digital Tashkent," providing for the introduction of advanced ICT in the field of education, health care, transport, catering, retail and wholesale trade in Tashkent. At the same time, it is inextricably linked with the Safe City project.

At the first stage of this project in 2019-2020, a single technological platform is being created in Tashkent. By 2023, the Safe City project will be implemented in all regions of the country. By the end of the year, it is planned to introduce electronic medical records, electronic hospital and emergency medical care systems in the capital, to develop a Unified Register of Social Protection for accounting for social benefits.

All these large-scale and relevant projects and tasks are undoubtedly important for the socio-economic development of Uzbekistan for the coming years, because the future of our country is inextricably linked with the widespread introduction and use of digital technologies.

2019: Uzbekistan's head bans paper document flow in government agencies

In December 2019, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree banning paper document management in state bodies. By January 1, 2021, ministries, departments and executive authorities should completely refuse to fill out forms, forms and tables in paper form, switching to electronic format. Read more here.

See also

• ID card in Uzbekistan

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