In Uzbekistan, business licensing and permit issuance mechanism to be simplified

     On April 15, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a Resolution "On measures to further improve procedures related to entrepreneurial activities and provision of public services".
     The document was adopted in order to further simplify and reduce the cost of licensing and permit issuing mechanisms, as well as to provide more freedom to business entities.
     According to the Resolution, from June 1, 2014 some types of business licenses and documents shall be abolished, as well as registration time and fees are to be reduced.
     The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan jointly with the licensing authorities, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, State Committee of communication, information and communication technologies of Uzbekistan are instructed to:
     - to introduce by January 1, 2015 at the legislative level, the principle of "one window" in licensing of certain activities;
     - to complete, by the end of 2014, the development and implementation of software for online submission of reporting on fulfillment of license agreement terms.
     The Resolution has also approved the List of projects of priority online services for entrepreneurs through the Single Portal of Online Government Services.
     The State Committee for communication, information and communication technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan is instructed to provide:
     - coordination and systemic monitoring over implementation of measures to transfer licensed activities and licensing procedures into electronic form, as well as evaluating of effectiveness of the implementation of online interaction of government bodies with business entities ;
     - implementation, jointly with the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, UzKommunHizmat (Utilities Agency), and concerned ministries and agencies by the end of 2014, of specific measures to improve the Portal of housing and utilities by integrating it with electronic payment systems and billing systems of utilities services;
     - to provide, at no cost, access for the concerned ministries, agencies, business associations and business entities to information systems, developed under the Comprehensive Program of the National information and communication system development of Uzbekistan for 2013-2020 period.
     In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan jointly with the State Committee for communication, information and telecommunication technologies, other relevant ministries, state committees, agencies and organizations are instructed to ensure, from October 1, 2014, the functioning within the Single portal of online government services of the personal "cabinet for entrepreneurs", allowing to carry out:
     - online application of financial, tax, statistical and other reports;
     - payment of taxes and other mandatory payments, utility bills, state fees for examination and issuance of permits and licenses via Internet banking system;
     - obtaining certificates and other types of interactive government services.
     This Resolution establishes the procedure, according to which from 1 June 2014 business entities are entitled, in electronic form on "one window" principle, to exercise the following procedures:
     - submission and review of applications of business entities for inclusion in the Program of localization – to the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, State Committee of Uzbekistan on privatization, de-monopolization and competition;
     - submission of documents for loans (up to one year term) in national currency - to serving commercial banks.
     Heads of Cabinet of Ministers Complexes jointly with the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Justice are instructed within two months to make appropriate proposals on amendments to legislation providing for tougher measures of administrative liability in respect of officials of the state and economic management bodies for illegal interference in the financial economic activity of business entities, as well as excessive bureaucracy in the provision of public services.

UzReport 16.04.2014