Uzbekistan is planning to create a separate platform that will allow citizens to legally purchase shares of foreign companies. This was announced by representatives of the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP) at a press conference on March 18. Kamronbek Muhammadiyev, head of the Department for Development and Regulation of E-commerce, emphasized that currently, citizens have almost no opportunity for direct investment in foreign stocks, as existing platforms only offer trading in contracts for price changes, without granting voting rights, dividends, or other privileges after buying shares.

Vyacheslav Pak, First Deputy Director of NAPP, noted that citizens are currently transferring funds abroad through international payment systems like Visa and Mastercard and investing in unregulated platforms, which raises concerns about protecting their rights. He stated that high demand from the population necessitates the creation of a transparent and regulated infrastructure, so plans are underway to establish a separate platform, remove legislative restrictions, and test ways to provide citizens with safe products.

According to agency estimates, the current situation is already leading to uncontrolled capital outflow, with $180 million having left the country. Vyacheslav Pak highlighted that in a regulated environment, these funds could remain in official circulation within Uzbekistan. Additionally, NAPP pointed out the risk of fraud, noting that in many cases, citizens become victims of pyramid schemes and scams.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on further development of the capital market in mid-December. It emphasized plans to open access to shares, bonds, and other securities of foreign companies, including Google, Meta, and Nvidia, through a special platform on the stock exchange. This is expected to help reduce the volume of informal operations with foreign instruments and strengthen the protection of investors' rights.

Source: www.gazeta.uz