Legislation
The Central Bank may impose limits on the number of bank cards issued to a single individual. It is planned to allow citizens to obtain up to 5 cards from one bank, with a total cap of 20 cards per person.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on November 14 to protect the rights and legitimate interests of businesses. According to the document, starting in 2025, financial penalties for conducting business without registering as an individual entrepreneur will be abolished. All business inspections will be conducted with notification to the Business Ombudsman and registration in the "Unified State Control" system. An exception is made for desk tax audits. All business inspections will be conducted with notification to the Business Ombudsman and registration in the "Unified State Control" system. An exception is made for desk tax audits.
The president also signed a new version of the law "On Rail Transport," which introduces free pricing for transportation, excluding those regulated by the government.
In Uzbekistan, fines are planned for driving in bus lanes. The responsible committee of the Legislative Chamber is preparing the relevant bill. It is expected that the fine for the first violation will be 1.12 million sums, and for a repeat violation within a year, it will be 1.87 million sums.
The Tashkent city administration has put forward a draft resolution to review fares for public transportation. The proposed fare for buses and the metro when paying in cash is set to increase to 3,000 sums. If paid by card, the amount will remain the same at 1,700 sums.
Additionally, the fines for environmental violations are being increased. For instance, damages and destruction of trees using chemical agents during construction will incur fines ranging from 35 to 50 BRW (13.125−18.75 million sums).
A draft law prohibiting the privatization of parks, boulevards, and squares has also been submitted for consideration in the Oliy Majlis. The document has been prepared by the factions of the Social Democratic Party "Adolat" and the Ecological Party.
Furthermore, the government has approved a procedure for the liquidation of inactive homeowners' associations (HOAs). An HOA will be considered inactive if it has not deposited funds into bank accounts for 9 months.
When paying customs duties and fees, general collateral can be used. Acceptable forms of general collateral include bank guarantees, insurance policies, or material pledges.
WTO
Uzbekistan has completed negotiations for its accession to the WTO with China. There are "few" countries left to reach agreements with, said Azizbek Urunov.
As part of the preparations for joining the WTO, the elimination of tax benefits for exporters is planned. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov commented on these plans at a Legislative Chamber meeting:
“I would like to express my opinion: the WTO is, in general, a fair trading system. There is inequality between countries that are members of the WTO and those that are not. If we trade with a developed country, it has the right to demand favorable conditions for itself; I do not mean any specific benefits,” stated the deputy prime minister.
Every Uzbek entrepreneur must learn to operate under conditions of fair and open competition, he added.
Other
On November 30, 31 citizens of Uzbekistan were detained at Abu Dhabi International Airport for "unknown reasons." The Uzbek embassy in Abu Dhabi stated that they are monitoring the situation.
The buildings and structures of the "Askiya" market have been put up for online auction. The buyer will be required to renovate the market and establish a modern trade and service complex on its premises. Previously, the project for the market's renovation was presented by the Hokimiyat of the Yakkasaray district.
The company Balcomuz will manage paid parking in Tashkent. The Uzbek-Japanese joint venture proposed a rental bid exceeding 120 billion sums per year.
The company Tashkent Invest announced the start of reconstruction of the Yuldosh neighborhood (Sputnik) in the Yangihayot district of Tashkent. In place of 409 dilapidated two-story wooden houses, 93 modern 16-story apartment buildings are planned. Two days later, the company published a statement with additional information about the project, indicating that a dendropark is planned for the Yuldosh neighborhood, and the renovation project will be implemented in the "Gulshanabad" mahalla. Residents have been promised equivalent modern apartments and a preferential right to purchase new apartments to expand their living space.
Uzbek citizens will be able to enter China visa-free for up to 30 days. The exact date when the visa-free regime will come into effect has not been specified.
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