On March 20, the voting process for 'Initiative Budget' projects on the 'Open Budget' portal for the first season of 2026 concluded. According to the results, citizens cast 10,284,000 votes, highlighting active public participation in the allocation of local budget funds.

Based on portal data, a total of 21,049 initiatives were submitted by the population, with 17,424 successfully passing the selection stage. The voting results identified 1,996 projects as winners, which will receive a total allocation of 3 trillion 5 billion 827 million Uzbek soums. These funds are earmarked for improving local infrastructure and services.

The projects that garnered the most votes included initiatives for repairing internal roads (868 projects), renovating schools and developing material-technical bases (566 projects), and repairing healthcare facilities and developing material-technical bases (163 projects). These outcomes indicate that public focus is primarily on addressing issues in transportation, education, and healthcare sectors.

The voting period lasted from March 11 to March 20, during which citizens had the opportunity to directly participate in distributing a portion of the local budget. Following the announcement of winning projects, residents in some areas celebrated the victory with festive music, dancing, and concerts, underscoring the high level of community engagement with this initiative.

The 'Initiative Budget' project, which involves citizens in budget allocation, is part of efforts to enhance transparency and democratic processes in Uzbekistan. However, the effectiveness of this process and how the funds will be utilized in practice remain critical issues that require ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Source: www.gazeta.uz