Tashkent hosted an open dialogue between the Committee on Innovative Development and Information Technologies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and residents of IT Park Uzbekistan. The key goal of the meeting was to discuss current challenges and challenges facing the country's digital sector, as well as to find practical mechanisms to stimulate its further growth.
The event was attended by deputies, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, industry experts and more than 150 residents of the IT park, including 60 participants from the regions who joined online. Special attention was paid to creating conditions for the export of IT services, improving fiscal policy and strengthening institutional support for technology companies.
Today, the IT park is a central element of the digital economy of Uzbekistan. Its residents are about 3,000 legal entities, including 800 foreign companies and 750 exporters. More than 530 residents specialize in educational services, which contributes to the formation of a talent pool for high-tech industries. The total number of specialists involved in the park's ecosystem exceeds 44,000 people.
There are 14 regional branches of the IT park operating on the territory of the country, which makes it possible to ensure the uniform development of digital initiatives throughout the country. The number of exporting companies and participants with international capital is also growing steadily in the regions. Today, 240 exporting companies and 206 foreign legal entities are registered in the regions.
One of the indicators of progress is the growth of export volumes: if in 2017 the export of digital services amounted to 700 thousand US dollars, then according to forecasts by the end of 2024 it will reach 900 million US dollars. This growth is due to government support measures, including the extension of tax benefits for residents of the IT park until 2040, the launch of the "Zero Risk", "From local to Global" programs, as well as the provision of virtual office services and IT visas.
During the discussion, residents raised issues of simplifying export procedures, creating a stable tax environment, improving access to state contracts and integrating local IT solutions into state systems. The issue of attracting investment in infrastructure, including modern data centers and cloud platforms, was also discussed.
According to a survey conducted by the Center for Economic Research and Reform in cooperation with IT Park, 96% of companies and 82% of IT professionals expressed their intention to continue working in Uzbekistan. At the same time, 93% of business representatives and 81% of employees are ready to recommend the country to colleagues as a comfortable jurisdiction for conducting technology business.
The meeting demonstrated the high level of involvement of the private sector and the willingness of the Parliament to take into account the opinion of the market when making legislative decisions. Agreements were reached on regular dialogue formats and preparation of specific legislative initiatives based on feedback from the industry. Such events strengthen the institutional sustainability of the sector and contribute to the transformation of Uzbekistan into one of the leaders of the digital economy in the region.
