Authorities in Uzbekistan have officially initiated a sweeping national business census designed to encompass all economic entities operating within the country. The broad initiative purportedly aims to capture a comprehensive portrait of entrepreneurial activity, targeting registered corporations, individual entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, foreign representative offices, and even informal actors operating entirely outside the official regulatory framework.

According to the operational procedures endorsed by the cabinet, October 1, 2026, has been designated as the benchmark date for compiling data on economic agents. The census is scheduled to evaluate all entities regardless of ownership status or formal registration, utilizing the actual operational location of the business as the primary reference point rather than official legal addresses. Enterprises and foreign offices are instructed to submit disclosures via digital portals or local coordinators, while informal traders face direct questioning by statistical inspectors at markets and commercial hubs.

Officials claim that participant confidentiality will be strictly maintained through data anonymization, with final outcomes slated for publication by September 2027. However, independent observers suggest that the exhaustive data-gathering effort highlights systemic difficulties in economic oversight. The urgency behind the census is officially attributed to the vast scale of the informal sector, which allegedly accounts for 23 percent of economic activity—equivalent to roughly 246 trillion soms—with concentrations reaching up to 60 percent within the agricultural domain.

Critics and analysts remain skeptical regarding the long-term efficacy of such administrative measures in curbing persistent structural imbalances. While the government insists the census will provide vital transparency, skepticism lingers over whether heavy-handed statistical aggregation can genuinely resolve the underlying socio-economic drivers compelling businesses to remain underground.

Source: podrobno.uz