DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

On additional measures to accelerate strategic reforms

 

In recent years, various spheres of the state and society have been reformed, within the framework of which specific measures have been taken to improve the public administration system, improve the business environment, transform and modernize sectors of the economy, socio-economic development of the regions, as well as liberalize foreign trade, tax and financial policy.

At the same time, the current rapidly changing political and economic situation in the world requires the implementation of effective reforms in new directions to ensure the sustainable development of the national economy, increase the competitiveness of domestic companies in foreign markets, further improve the living conditions of the population and increase human capital.

To effectively organize the implementation of the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, development and introduction of common approaches to the implementation of reforms by ensuring their consistency:

  1. Create Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the Agency) on the basis of Strategic Development Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
  2. Determine the main tasks of the Agency as:

development of proposals for the reform of certain areas and industries with the involvement of domestic and foreign experts, and organization and control over their implementation;

assessment of the effectiveness of reforms with a critical analysis of their implementation in areas and sectors, identifying systemic problems that create conditions for bureaucracy, red tape, and corruption, and taking measures to eliminate them;

monitoring the implementation of the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan and state programs, as well as, on this basis, coordination of their full and high-quality implementation;

systematic organization of work to attract international financial institutions, foreign organizations, and foreign specialists, as well as grant facilities, establishment of related information databases and reporting;

transformation of state-owned enterprises, in particular, preparation of reports based on international standards, inclusion of independent members in the management bodies, and monitoring of the effectiveness of work undertaken to ensure efficient utilization of non-core assets.

  1. Establish the Council of the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the Council), composed of the members in accordance with Appendix No.1.

Establish that:

the Council approves the priority directions of activities and key performance indicators of the Agency, other decisions related to its activities, as well as proposals, “roadmaps” and programs developed by the Agency for the implementation of the tasks defined by it;

meetings of the Council are held under the leadership of the Chairman of the Council or, on his instructions, the Deputy Chairman;

decisions taken at meetings of the Council are documented in protocols that are subject to mandatory execution by all state bodies and organizations.

  1. Starting from October 1, 2022, introduce the procedure for implementing reforms in areas and sectors, their coordination, and performance assessment, in accordance with which the Agency:
  2. a)on reforming and coordination of individual areas and industries:

annually submits one year Work plans related to areas and sectors undergoing reforms for approval of the Council by October 1;

establishes project groups (offices) under the leadership of an employee of the Agency with the involvement of domestic and foreign experts, and representatives of relevant ministries and departments (with maintaining salary at the main place of work);

formulates terms of reference for in-depth analysis, assessment of the current state and development of proposals by project groups (offices), develops “roadmaps” for reforming relevant areas and sectors with the involvement of consulting organizations;

initiates a meeting of the Council to decide on the conceptual issues of “roadmaps”;

develops or coordinates the development and approval of regulatory legal acts related to “roadmaps” on reforming of areas and industries, in particular on the issues included therein;

constantly monitors the implementation of adopted regulatory legal acts related to reforms, takes measures to identify and eliminate factors hindering the implementation of reforms;

  1. b)on assessment of implementation of reforms by the relevant ministries and departments:

annually submits the Action plan of the Agency for undertaking the assessment of reforms implemented in the relevant areas and sectors for approval of the Council by November 1;

establishes expert groups for each area and sector with the involvement of independent experts and specialists;

quarterly assesses the effectiveness of reforms being implemented and submits information on the results of the assessment to the Council, indicating the results achieved, existing shortcomings, problems, as well as proposes remedial actions;

convenes meeting of the Council to consider the reports of the heads of ministries and entities on the implementation of reforms.

  1. Determine that:

consultants for the development, implementation of “roadmaps” and assessment of these processes of reforming areas and sectors are attracted by the Agency or in agreement with it;

responsible ministries and entities will create necessary conditions free of charge (building, premises, technical equipment, etc.) for project groups (offices) and consulting organizations to undertake their activities;

implementation of “roadmaps” for reforming areas and sectors are undertaken directly by the responsible ministries and entities, and their first leaders are held accountable;

responsible ministries and entities submit to the Agency monthly information on the undertaken work to reform areas and sectors as well as transformation of state-owned enterprises for subsequent submission to the Council;

The Ministry of Justice quarterly submits to the Agency a summary analytical report on the implementation of the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan and state programs.

  1. Starting from October 1, 2022, introduce a procedure according to which:
  2. a)attraction of international financial institutions, foreign organizations, and foreign specialists, as well as grant facilities to the processes of reforming areas and sectors, is undertaken in agreement with the Agency;
  3. b)comprehensive assessment of reform programs, including the country, by international financial institutions and missions of international organizations, is undertaken jointly with the Agency;
  4. c)each ministry and department submits to the Agency official conclusions and reports of international organizations, financial institutions, and experts within a week from the date of their receipt. At the same time, reports and conclusions prepared before the adoption of this Decree are submitted to the Agency before November 1, 2022;
  5. d)following the results of each quarter, a meeting of the Council is held, at which the following issues are discussed:

current and long-term plans for the strategic development of the country and proposals for their implementation;

circumstances hindering the effective implementation of reforms, and specific targeted measures to address them;

the political, social, and economic situation in the regions based on the opinions and judgments outlined in the framework of open dialogues with the population on the ground, and measures to address concerns of citizens.

  1. Determine the following:

expediency of draft regulatory legal acts developed on strategic issues of the socio-economic development of the country, deepening and liberalizing comprehensive reforms in relevant areas, is considered at Council meetings;

draft regulatory legal acts recognized by the Council as appropriate are submitted to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for consideration, while the coordination of these draft regulatory legal acts with other entities is not required.

  1. Approve the organizational structure of the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan by Appendix No.2.
  2. Define that:

General Director of the Agency and his deputies are appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

General Director of the Agency, in terms of his status, terms of remuneration, and medical and transport services, is equated to an Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the first deputy, and deputy directors – respectively, to the first deputy and deputy advisors to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

employees of the Agency are appointed and dismissed by the Director General of the Agency in agreement with the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

employees of the Agency are subject to the categories of remuneration and salaries established for employees of the Executive Office of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

  1. Transfer the Support Fund of the Strategic Development Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan under the jurisdiction of the Agency and rename it the Support Fund of the Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the Fund).

Define that:

disposal of resources of the Fund is carried out in agreement with the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

procedure for the formation and disbursement of resources of the Fund is determined by the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

  1. Determine that the sources of funding of activities of the Agency are the State budget, the Fund, extra budgetary funds of the Agency, income received from temporarily free funds on deposits of commercial banks, and other sources not prohibited by law.
  2. Establish that the Agency, in undertaking its tasks, has the right to:

establish project groups (offices) in the areas of reforms, involve consulting organizations, employ qualified foreign specialists, and pay their wages in national or foreign currency;

attract specialists from state entities and organizations, business associations, representatives of civil society institutions, employees of research institutes as well as domestic and foreign scientists and specialists in the work of conducting research and analysis on a contractual basis;

conclude cooperation agreements with international financial institutions, international organizations and experts, and other agreements;

request and obtain necessary statistical, analytical, and other data from state entities and organizations;

access electronic information systems of state entities and organizations on free of charge basis as well as integrate these systems with the electronic systems of the Agency.

  1. The Cabinet of Ministers, together with the Khokimiyat of Tashkent city, to undertake measures to accommodate the Agency within a month.
  2. Agency:

within a month, submit the regulation on the Agency, cost estimate, conditions for remuneration of employees of the Agency as well as the sources of financing of the activities of the Agency and the project offices it creates for approval of the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

within two months to make proposals for amendments and additions to legislative acts arising from this Decree.

  1. Introduce amendments and additions to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated October 16, 2018, No.PP-3976 “On measures to improve the system of remuneration and material incentives for executives, specialists, and employees of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” in accordance with the Appendix No. 3.
  2. Assign the control over the execution of this Decree to the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Umurzakov S.U.

 

 

The President

of the Republic of Uzbekistan

 Shavkat Mirziyoev

 

 

 

  Annex No.1
to the Decree of the President
of the Republic of Uzbekistan
dated September 8, 2022 No. DP-216

 

COMPOSITION
of the Council of the Agency for Strategic Reforms
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

1. Sh.M. Mirziyoev – President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Chairman of the Council
2. S.U. Umurzakov – Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Deputy Chairman of the Council
3. Sir S. Chakrabarti   Advisor to the President of the Republic
of Uzbekistan on Economic Development, Effective Governance and International Cooperation
4. R.A. Gulyamov – Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
5. B.M. Mavlonov – Head of the Department of Legal Expertise and Comprehensive Analysis of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
6. D.A. Kuchkarov – Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Minister of Economic Development
and Proverty Reduction
7. J.A. Khodjayev – Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade
8. R.K. Davletov – Minister of Justice
9. E.T. Aripov – Director of the Institute for Strategic
and Regional Studies
10. According to position – Director General of the Agency for Strategic Reforms, Council Secretary

 

Note: When members of the Council are transferred to other positions, persons who are newly appointed to these positions or to whom respective functions thereof are entrusted shall be included into the composition of the Council.