A blow to the shadow economy: What system will be launched by the end of 2026?

By the end of 2026, a major digital platform called the “Shadow Economy Map” will be fully operational in Uzbekistan. This new system will serve to automatically identify risks associated with the shadow economy, properly direct oversight efforts, and minimize the human factor in the sector.

The project was introduced during a presentation on ongoing efforts to reduce the share of the shadow economy to the President and was approved by the head of state. Zamin.uz presents the key capabilities and expected results of the new platform.

Full digitalization: 16 agencies in one system

The main strength of the new digital platform lies in its ability to work with Big Data. It is reported that the information systems of 16 ministries and agencies will be integrated into the system. This will allow for the collection and analysis of economic data in real-time.

The platform will cover all points of the country:

• 22 economic sectors;

• 85 major industries;

• 14 regions and 208 districts.

Based on more than 100 special risk criteria, the system will automatically categorize sectors and regions into “green,” “yellow,” and “red” categories according to their risk level.

What violations will the new system expose?

The “Shadow Economy Map” will simplify the work of oversight bodies and help to quickly escalate problems from the district level to the national level. The platform will automatically detect the following situations without human intervention:

• Operating without the necessary permits and licenses;

• Enterprises concealing their actual turnover;

• Artificially underreporting jobs and payroll funds;

• Underreporting profitability and net profit.

By the numbers: Achieved results and goals until 2030

As a result of the reforms carried out, the share of the non-observed economy in the country has decreased from 35 percent to 23 percent over the last two years. Due to this, an additional 38 trillion soums in revenue were secured for the state budget. The number of officially employed people has exceeded 8.5 million, and the average monthly salary has reached nearly 6.5 million soums.

Serious plans have also been set for the coming years:

Officials emphasize that the analytical capabilities of the platform will allow tax and oversight bodies to focus their activities precisely on points where risks exist, which guarantees that honest entrepreneurs will not be unnecessarily disturbed.