Tax Changes
The zero tariffs on customs duties for 36 categories of food and other goods are extended for another year - until January 1, 2026.
On December 24, Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved amendments to the legislation as part of the tax and budget policy for 2025.
According to the document, starting in 2025, the excise tax on mobile communications, currently at 10%, will be abolished. Publishers will be exempt from profit tax until 2030, and benefits for resident exporters of IT Park will be extended until 2040.
For cigarettes, starting January 1, the ad valorem rate of 10% of the cost will be abolished, and from July 1, the rates for imported and local cigarettes will be equalized at 340,000 sums per 1,000 pieces.
The excise tax on ethyl alcohol will be set at 15,000 sums per liter. Currently, it is 14,900 sums for local products and 70% of the cost for imported ones.
The zero profit tax and turnover tax for exporters will also be abolished. The profit tax rate for sellers of goods, services, and works on online marketplaces will increase from 7.5% to 10%. The turnover tax in this category will be 3% instead of 2%.
Fixed annual turnover tax rates will rise to 30 million sums for total income up to 500 million sums and 40 million sums for income from 500 million to 1 billion sums. Starting in 2026, these rates are planned to be abolished.
Property tax rates for individuals will increase by approximately 10% compared to the current level.
The minimum cost per 1 sq. m. for calculating property tax for legal entities in Tashkent will be 3.3 million sums, in Nukus and regional centers - 2.2 million sums, and in other areas - 1.3 million sums.
An excise tax of 500 sums per liter will be levied on non-carbonated drinks containing sugar or other sweeteners.
It is planned to increase excise taxes for end consumers on all types of gasoline. The water use tax for car washes will rise more than fivefold.
Additionally, Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law on Uzbekistan's state budget for 2025. The budget deficit limit will be 3% of GDP (4% in 2024), with a net volume of government bonds at 30 trillion sums. The limit on external borrowings was raised from $5 billion to $7.3 billion.
Moreover, the ban on the export of white and striped sunflower seeds, introduced in June 2022 to stabilize domestic oil prices, will be lifted.
According to the Cabinet's resolution, five services will be provided in a proactive format, meaning initiated by government bodies and organizations without applications from citizens. This applies to the verification of electricity, gas, hot, and drinking water meters.
City
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the master plan for Tashkent until 2045. According to the document, the city is divided into zones of conservation, reconstruction, and renovation. The area of the capital within administrative boundaries will be 43,873 ha. In the next 20 years, the population is expected to grow nearly 2.5 times - from 3 million to 7.4 million people.
Recently, the president visited the first offices of government agencies in the under-construction town of "New Tashkent." In a city designed for 1 million residents, large underground engineering works are underway, "laying the foundation for future grand constructions."
As part of the first phase, 11 multifunctional complexes, as well as hotels and restaurants worth $490 million, have already begun.
From January 2025, a new procedure for budget financing of construction, reconstruction, and repair works will be introduced. In the first month, 30% of the work cost will be paid in advance, with further payments made as the work progresses. By April 1, a digital system for accepting constructed facilities into operation will be implemented. By July 1, catalogs of standard project documentation samples will be created in the "Transparent Construction" system.
Starting March 1, 2025, the rental of municipal properties up to 10,000 sq. m and costing up to 5,000 BRV (1.875 billion sums) will be simplified if the property has not been sold in 6 months. Such properties can be leased to entrepreneurs through a direct contract for 10 years with a buyout option after uninterrupted payment for 4 years. The tenant must launch a new project within 2 years after signing the contract.
Other News
The Tashkent metro has launched a palm print payment system called MyID Palm. Scanners are operating in test mode at 12 underground stations of the Chilanzar line - from "Olmazor" to "Buyuk Ipak Yuli." Soon, the coverage of the system is expected to be expanded to all stations.
Bo Andersson is stepping down as the CEO of UzAuto Motors and UzAuto Motors Powertrain. He led the companies for just over 3 years. The reasons for the decision have not been disclosed.
On the E-auksion platform, an auction was held for the property complex of the Tashkent market "Askiya." The auction lasted 15 minutes and concluded after a single bid. The winner was Sheng-Ke International, which offered 225.59 billion sums - 5% above the starting price. According to the data from the State Register, Sheng-Ke International was registered in May this year and specializes in specialized construction work.
The issuance of license plates for mopeds and scooters has begun. Electric scooters and motorcycles will have plates with a green background in the regional code area. Scooters with internal combustion engines will have a white background in this area.
The Ministry of Justice announced the launch of the LexAI platform - an AI-based chatbot that will help find answers to legal questions. LexAI can provide links to legislative articles, analyze questions, and suggest clarifications.
On Monday, Russian media reported a significant drop in traffic on the video service YouTube in Russia. The video hosting platform's usage decreased to about 20% of the level before the service slowdown, which has become "a de facto blocking of YouTube."
Several airlines announced the suspension of flights to certain cities in Russia following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau. Uzbekistan Airways' press service informed Spot that currently all flights to Russian cities are operating according to the established schedule, including to Makhachkala and Grozny.
Figure of the Week
In Uzbekistan, the most expensive "beautiful" car number 01