Transitioning to green economy
Evidence for reforms. The EGED Programme funded three assessments to support the Government of Uzbekistan 2030 green transition reforms:
- Climate Change Institutional Framework Assessment;
- Uzbekistan economy Adaptation and Resilience Assessment;
- Air Quality Assessment and the Roadmap for Air Quality Management Improvement in Uzbekistan.
Civil society engagement. A Policy Dialogue Group – a network of 12 civil society organizations, private sector and business associations formed to advocate for green transition.
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions developed by the Policy Dialogue Group and submitted to the Government of Uzbekistan. 14 analytical materials addressing climate and green economy challenges were published online reaching 21,751 views.
Stronger Public Finance Management
The EGED Programme funded the 2024 Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment and first-ever Climate PEFA assessment. The findings and recommendations helped shape the Government of Uzbekistan 2025-2030 Public Finance Management Strategy. Sub-national PEFA assessments expected in 2025 in two pilot regions of Uzbekistan.
The Public Procurement Strategy, finalized with EGED Programme support, establishes the foundation for more transparent, inclusive ( which includes people with disabilities) and efficient procurement. Both of these reforms demonstrate signs of openness to civil society and the private sector. EGED Programme has helped to set up a procurement monitoring group to build a community that can ultimately find opportunities to drive changes.
The EGED programme conducted training for the media in data journalism, as a result of which analytical and data materials on the effectiveness of public procurement appeared in the media space of Uzbekistan. Increased transparency in the public procurement process counters corruption and helps save public finances
Better public procurement
Accountability. The EGED Programme helped develop and integrate an e-complaint module for tender bidders to feedback and/or raise concerns over the government electronic procurement system.
EGED also supported the Government of Uzbekistan to design 2025-2027 Public Procurement Strategy mainstreaming transparency, digitalisation, ‘green’ procurement, counter-fraud and conflict of interest, and compliance controls.
A 28-member procurement monitoring group developed a Public Procurement Monitoring Guide shared with the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Access to global markets through e-commerce
The EGED Programme funded the E-GATE initiative to open new markets for Central Asian producers through B2B online trading.
4 Uzbek firms started B2B sales on a global e-marketplace reaching USD 5 million in deals (contracted and negotiated) with 14 countries. 20% of supported firms created new e-commerce roles, 80% of whom are women.
Support to WTO accession
UK supports the Government of Uzbekistan and its Chief Negotiator in the WTO accession negotiations.
The EGED Programme will develop the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to help the government of Uzbekistan evaluate the macroeconomic effects of policy changes required for acceding to the WTO. Additionally, the Programme will help conduct the Global Income Distribution Dynamics (GIDD) analysis using household survey data to assess micro-level impacts of joining the WTO.
Privatisation of state-owned enterprises (SOE)
EGED Programme
- assisted to review the impact of SOEs on Uzbekistan economy;
- is helping assess the outcomes of 2021-2025 SOE Privatisation Strategy; and
- design 2026-2030 SOE Optimisation and Privatisation Strategy.
Labour legislation reform
Revised Labour Code. The EGED programme helped revise the Labour Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan – first revision since 1995. 12 substantial recommendations led to new provisions modernizing hiring procedures, the wage system (equal pay for equal job), human resource management, and protection for women and persons with disabilities.
Monitoring the implementation. A group of 22 experts (50% women and youth) formed to facilitate dialogue between the Government and civil society to monitor implementation of the new Labour Code and propose improvements. Monitoring of labour rights enforcement conducted.
7 analytical materials addressing challenges of enforcing the labour legislation published online.
A survey of up to 500 mid-size and large firms on hiring practices expected in 2025.
Economic empowerment of people with disability
The EGED Programme delivered business acceleration courses to boost employment and entrepreneurship among women and youth with disabilities and low-income families in remote districts of Samarkand, Namangan and Navoi regions. 484 people were trained, 350 expected to launch their own business.
Tracking delivery on reform priorities
EGED Programme supports the Delivery Unit at the Agency of Strategic Reforms under the President of Uzbekistan, which uses data to track progress on reform priorities, to develop machine learning models for understanding geospatial inequality in public service delivery (schools, preschool facilities, health centres).
EGED Programme helped: (i) develop a progress tracking dashboard; and (ii) deliver a workshop on Data Analytics and AI in the Public Sector that looked at National Data Governance System and Public Investment Management Information System (PIMIS) geoportal and trained 60 public officials in data science and machine learning.
Analytics/Evidence for policy
Listening to the Citizens of Uzbekistan Survey (L2CU)
Since 2020 EGED funds the Listening to the Citizens of Uzbekistan (https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/uzbekistan/brief/l2cu) implemented by the World Bank.
A monthly survey of about 1,500 households across the country to understand public perception of wellbeing, reforms, migration, employment, access to public service, household income, and food security.
L2CU helped inform the energy tariff reform, labour legislation revision, and poverty reduction. L2CU microdata open to the public at https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/6412 updated quarterly on the World Bank Microdata Library. The L2CU dashboard expected to go live in summer 2025. In 2025 the World Bank introduced the Project Target Index – a mahalla-level tool to pinpoint areas most in need and guide tailored interventions.
Country Gender Assessment
EGED supported the Country Gender Assessment identify disparities in economic opportunities between women and men. 33 policy recommendations to address gaps were put forward.
The assessment fed into revisions to the Labour Code, landing provisions on equal pay for equal work and explicit prohibitions against gender discrimination during hiring process.
iSOEF Assessment
EGED Programme assisted the Government of Uzbekistan in surveying 3185 state-owned enterprises to inform the Government about their fiscal burden, corporate governance, profitability, productivity, impact on markets/competition and private sector, and the poor.
Pillar 1
National Statistical Committee
National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
Pillar 2
(2021 – 2024)
(2024 – 2026)
Beneficiary partners:
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Implementor
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Contacts
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FCDO |
Samira Abdusalomova samira.abdusalomova@fcdo.gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-tashkent
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The World Bank |
Media
