An international seminar titled “Supporting Uzbekistan’s Economic Reforms and WTO Accession: Private Sector Development and Redefining the Role of the State” has been held at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, where participants discussed Uzbekistan’s significant progress in modernizing its economy, reducing state involvement, and fostering a more competitive business environment.
The event, organized ahead of the next meeting of the WTO Working Party on Uzbekistan’s accession, brought together representatives from the Agency for Management of State Assets, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and leading international experts in economics and privatization, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.
Alisher Miraliev, Deputy Director of the State Assets Agency, outlined recent steps to simplify and accelerate privatization, stressing that all sales of state assets are conducted with full transparency and fairness.
“Our goal is to effectively manage state assets, increase their value, implement successful privatization processes, and thereby reduce the role of the state in the economy, creating new opportunities for the private sector,” said Miraliev.
Since 2021, Uzbekistan has worked closely with international financial institutions and strategic partners to implement these reforms. New laws on “Management of State Property” and “Privatization of State Property” have been adopted, aligning national regulations with global best practices.
A World Bank representative praised Uzbekistan’s rapid progress, noting that since reforms began in 2017, the country has achieved sustainable growth and improved competitiveness, making it one of the most dynamically reforming economies worldwide.
“Deepening reforms of state-involved enterprises and creating equal opportunities for the private sector are critical for economic growth and successful WTO integration,” the representative emphasized.
Kanokpan Lao-Araya, Director of the Asian Development Bank’s Uzbekistan office, commended the country’s transformation, highlighting that WTO accession will mark a major milestone in Uzbekistan’s shift from a state-centered economy to a competitive market system.
“Reform of state-involved enterprises lies at the heart of structural transformation. Each privatized enterprise creates new opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation,” she said.
Under the Strategy for Management and Reform of State-Involved Enterprises (2021-2025), Uzbekistan has already reduced the number of such enterprises by 67 percent, significantly expanding the private sector’s share in the economy.
International experts agreed that these reforms not only strengthen investor confidence and institutional resilience, but also enhance Uzbekistan’s global reputation as it moves closer to full WTO membership.
