Uzbekistan has officially commenced the voting phase for the first season of the "Initiative Budget" program for 2026. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, this process will run until March 20 at 23:59, with results from the traditional voting to be announced on March 21—coinciding with the Navruz holiday. An additional phase to identify supplementary winning projects will take place from March 21 to 31.
For the current season, maximum project values have been revised: construction and repair projects are capped at 1.648 billion soums (4,000 times the basic calculation indicator), while equipment projects are limited to 824 million soums (2,000 times the indicator). Additionally, the practice of taking a break will not apply in districts and cities with 15 or fewer neighborhoods, aiming to foster project development in smaller areas.
Deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis have been granted the authority to declare one non-winning project in their constituency as an additional winner. Recent amendments by the Senate Council introduced changes to the "Initiative Budget" procedures: projects must now gather at least 50 votes to advance to subsequent stages, equipment project costs are capped, and a co-financing mechanism on a partnership basis has been established.
A total of 6 trillion soums is allocated for the 2026 "Initiative Budget" program, with 496 billion soums directed toward implementing deputy-led initiatives and 506 billion soums for joint financing projects between citizens and the state. Under a presidential decree, starting in 2026, two non-winning projects (one per season) will be declared winners based on deputy proposals, with approximately 3.3 billion soums allocated per deputy for their financing.
Effective February 1, a co-financing practice has been introduced in the "Initiative Budget," allowing projects to be funded on a partnership basis between citizens and the state: if citizens voluntarily finance 50% of a project's cost, it is deemed a winner, with the remaining 50% covered by the republican budget. These updates are designed to enhance citizen engagement in budgetary decision-making processes.
Source: www.gazeta.uz