Geneva, Switzerland – November 4, 2025
The Deputy Chairman of the Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee Farrukh Karabaev delivered a comprehensive presentation at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland during the seminar “Uzbekistan’s Economic Reforms to Support WTO Accession: Fostering the Private Sector and Redefining the Role of the State” in the margins of 11 th Working Party Meeting on Accession of Uzbekistan to WTO.
In his address, the Deputy Chairman outlined Uzbekistan’s significant progress in advancing competition policy and creating a level playing field for all market participants as part of the country’s broader economic transformation under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s leadership.
Uzbekistan has undertaken deep structural reforms aimed at reducing state dominance, eliminating exclusive rights, and embedding competitive neutrality in the national economy. These reforms include the adoption of the “Yellow Pages Rule” limiting the creation of new state-owned enterprises, revocation of exclusive rights in 24 sectors, and the implementation of the 2023 Law on Competition introducing new tools to prevent anti-competitive practices.
Key achievements include:
– Reduction of state participation in the economy from 55% to 30% since 2020;
– Decrease of state aid from 22% to 9%;
– 67% reduction in the number of state-owned enterprises;
– 50% growth in small and medium-sized enterprises, reaching 485,000 by 2025.
Uzbekistan has also advanced in price liberalization, the unbundling of natural monopoly sectors such as energy and civil aviation, and the establishment of independent economic regulators. These measures have enhanced competition across more than 25 industries, from civil aviation and construction materials to agriculture and digital markets.
Looking ahead, Uzbekistan aims to double GDP by 2030 and increase the private sector’s share to 85% by dismantling remaining monopolies, fully liberalizing energy and transport markets, and ensuring competitive neutrality in all sectors.
The Deputy Chairman reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to aligning its competition framework with WTO principles, strengthening cooperation with international partners, and ensuring that fair competition remains a foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
