Uzbekistan has concluded the first 2026 season of its “Initiative Budget” program, with the Ministry of Economy and Finance publishing the final list of winning projects overnight on March 21. Across the country, citizens cast 10.284 million votes, and 1,996 projects worth a combined 3.005 trillion soums were approved for funding. Of those, 1,980 were traditional projects and 16 were partnership-based initiatives.
The largest amount allocated to a single project in this round reached 1.648 billion soums, equal to 4,000 times the base calculation value. The project that received the highest number of votes nationwide came from Kokdala district, where it collected 13,386 votes. The ministry’s data also showed especially intense competition in some areas: six of the top 10 most-voted projects were proposed in Khorezm region’s Kushkupir district, while three came from Akdarya district in Samarkand region.
At the other end of the scale, the winning project with the fewest votes was recorded in Muynak district of Karakalpakstan. A street-lighting initiative put forward by Sultanbek Rasbergenov secured victory with just 58 votes. The contrast highlights how local turnout and competition differed sharply from one district to another during the campaign.
Most of the successful proposals focused on basic infrastructure and public services. Internal road repairs accounted for the largest share, with 868 winning projects. Another 566 projects were aimed at repairing schools and strengthening their material and technical base, while 163 winning initiatives involved repairs and equipment upgrades for healthcare institutions. The results suggest that transport access, education and healthcare remain the top priorities for many communities.
Videos circulating online showed that some mahallas celebrated their victories with concerts, fireworks and public festivities. In several places, residents appeared to have prepared in advance for the announcement night, organizing balloons, cakes and even costumed fairytale characters for the occasion. The scenes reflected how seriously many neighborhoods treated the voting process and how closely communities followed the outcome.
This year’s first season began on February 1. Project submissions were accepted from February 1 to February 20, followed by a screening stage from February 21 to March 7. Promotion of approved proposals took place from March 8 to March 10, and the voting phase ended on March 20.
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