Digital marking in Uzbekistan, initially introduced as a tool for tracking specific goods, has evolved into a key component of economic digitalization over the past few years. During a session at the 'Innoprom' exhibition in Tashkent, representatives from regulatory bodies, operators, and businesses discussed how the system is reshaping trade, pharmaceuticals, imports, and retail.
Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee Alimjan Fayzibayev stated that digital marking is 'going beyond a control tool' and transforming into a full-fledged infrastructure for the modern economy. According to him, it ensures transparency, trust, and manageability, and is part of the tax system's modernization. The state's task is not only to combat the shadow economy but also to create a comfortable environment for entrepreneurs.
The system integrates with electronic invoices, online cash registers, and other digital services, enabling tracking of goods from production or import to final sale. This is particularly important for markets with high risks of illegal turnover, counterfeits, and expired products.
Business representatives admitted that the transition to marking was difficult due to a lack of specialists, IT solutions, and readiness among some retailers. However, they acknowledged that the system is already pushing out dishonest players and increasing trust in legal companies.
Fayzibayev emphasized that marking reduces the shadow sector and makes business more transparent. According to his data, production and import volumes reached 5.5 billion units (a 64% increase), the number of cash receipts rose by 40%, and their total amount increased by 21%. This confirms that marking is becoming a driver of economic legalization.
The session discussed the permissive regime, where goods are checked at the point of sale: if a problem is detected (expiration, lack of marking), the sale is blocked. A Tax Committee representative said a multi-level digital control system has been implemented, with a full check taking one second. Over the past two months, marking analytics helped identify violations at several retail outlets.
Russia's experience was also presented. Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ekaterina Priezzheva noted that the system was originally designed for accounting but has become a 'digital environment' integrated with 27 government agencies. The share of illegal turnover in Russia has tripled: in pharmaceuticals it decreased by 60%, in tobacco by 56%, and in perfumery by 82%. The permissive regime blocked 3 billion suspicious goods in two years (about 190,000 per hour). Sales of expired dairy products dropped 200-fold. Additional tax revenues since 2019 amounted to nearly 1.8 trillion rubles.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of CRPT Mikhail Dubin stressed that the system is creating a 'digital twin of the market', providing data for sales analysis and business optimization. Over 70% of market participants use this data to improve efficiency, with the figure reaching 90% in pharmaceuticals.
Anatoly Bachikalov, CEO of the marking operator in Uzbekistan, reported that over five years the system has evolved from basic coding to an 'online map of goods flows'. Starting May 1, market participants and government agencies will be able to see the movement of goods almost completely. Emission has exceeded 14 billion codes, about 5,000 companies are participating, and 8 product groups are covered. Beer turnover increased 148-fold, water operations 30-fold. The shadow market share for tobacco dropped to 9%, and for alcohol from 35% to 16%.
Future plans include launching marking for vegetable oils, medical devices, and dietary supplements. The list is expanding gradually, taking into account industry readiness.
Source: podrobno.uz