Progress in preparations for the Open Dialogue with Entrepreneurs reviewed

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the progress of preparations for the next Open Dialogue with Entrepreneurs, the press service of the head of our state reports.

The dialogue, which has become a traditional platform for engagement, plays an important role in directly identifying issues of concern to the business community, finding practical solutions, and further improving the business environment.

To ensure thorough preparation for the sixth Open Dialogue, a national headquarters comprising representatives of more than 50 ministries and agencies has been operating since May 15. The headquarters functions on a 24/7 basis.

Approximately 6,000 appeals have been received from entrepreneurs through the call center and official bots. More than 4,200 of these have already been resolved positively, while nearly 1,800 remain under consideration.

As part of the preparations, responsible organizations have conducted more than 750 meetings involving over 8,800 entrepreneurs. During these meetings, more than 3,500 proposals and pressing issues were raised.

More than 5,700 entrepreneurs participated in over 130 meetings organized by the Business Ombudsman and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, raising around 1,500 key issues. In cooperation with the relevant ministries and agencies, proposals are being developed to address the identified problems comprehensively and improve the existing legislative framework.

In addition, a survey was conducted among 5,072 entrepreneurs from all regions of the country. The survey examined issues related to business performance, investment and infrastructure, tax administration, foreign trade, and the judicial and legal system.

Domestic private enterprises accounted for 93 percent of respondents. The survey covered businesses operating in trade, services, industry, construction, and agriculture.

The analysis showed that enterprises still have significant potential to improve labor productivity and reduce production costs. Businesses that have adopted digital platforms, artificial intelligence, energy-efficient technologies, new product lines, and modern production methods demonstrate stronger sales performance, competitiveness, wage growth, and investment activity.

In particular, enterprises that implemented at least three efficiency-enhancing measures were 4.1 times more likely to reduce costs and 2.1 times more likely to achieve faster wage growth. However, only 11.6 percent of surveyed enterprises had introduced such measures in three or more areas, while 28.5 percent had not implemented any efficiency measures at all.

At 51 percent of enterprises, no new products, services, innovations, or modernization projects have been introduced in recent years. Over the past year, 40 percent of enterprises made no investments, and 29 percent have no investment plans for the coming year. The main barriers identified were high lending rates, undervaluation of collateral, excessive documentation requirements, and lengthy loan approval procedures.

According to the survey, 38 percent of enterprises have taken no measures to reduce production costs, while 53 percent reported an increase in the cost of goods and services. The main reasons cited were rising raw material prices and higher energy and logistics expenses. Furthermore, 43 percent of enterprises have not adopted energy-saving measures, and 49 percent do not use renewable energy sources.

Infrastructure remains one of the key challenges facing entrepreneurs. The main concerns cited include frequent service interruptions, low voltage and pressure levels, as well as issues related to consumption limits and tariffs.

While acknowledging the significant reforms implemented in tax administration, survey participants pointed to a number of issues related to inspections and value-added tax (VAT) refunds. At the same time, 94 percent of entrepreneurs positively assessed the impact of the business sustainability rating system on their operations.

Among the surveyed enterprises, 22.3 percent are engaged in foreign trade activities. The principal obstacles to exports include difficulties in finding foreign customers, product certification, logistics, access to financial instruments, customs procedures, as well as insufficient market information and marketing expertise.

In the judicial and legal sphere, respondents positively assessed access to qualified legal assistance and the transparency of public procurement procedures. At the same time, 73 percent of entrepreneurs noted that bureaucratic procedures in the enforcement process have a negative impact on business operations.

The Head of State emphasized the need for an in-depth analysis of the appeals received and the survey results by region and sector, as well as the development of concrete solutions to systemic issues hindering the growth of entrepreneurship.

Instructions were given to prepare proposals aimed at improving enterprise efficiency, promoting the widespread adoption of innovation and energy-saving technologies, addressing financing and infrastructure challenges, enhancing tax administration, supporting exporters, and strengthening legal protections for entrepreneurs.

It was also instructed that, for every issue raised during the Open Dialogue, a specific solution, implementation mechanism, responsible officials, and execution deadlines must be clearly identified.