Author: np-post

Over the past month, Uzbekistan has adopted two major pieces of legislation that reshape the rules of the game for business: Law LRU №1168 of August 17, 2026, on guarantees of freedom of entrepreneurial activity, and Presidential Resolution  PR №279 of July 27, 2026, on the development of Tashkent. Together, they create a more protected and favorable environment for entrepreneurs, from foundational legal principles to concrete incentives and new business opportunities in the capital. New Legal Guarantees for Business Law LRU №1168 introduces a new chapter into the Law “On Guarantees...

Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan Law No. LRUz-1164 signed by the President on August 13, 2026, introduces amendments and additions to several pieces of legislation such as the Family Code, the Law “On Archival Affairs,” and the Law “On Licensing, Permitting Procedures, and Notifications.” What’s changing: More options for a child’s surname. An amendment to the Family Code now allows a child’s surname to be based on the father’s first name, in addition to the existing option of using the grandfather’s name according to national tradition...

Resolution №440 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers on August 13, 2026refines the procedure for awarding maternity benefits and temporary disability (“sick leave”) benefits. What’s changing: A simpler approach to calculating the six-month insurance record. Previously, months without salary payments (unpaid leave or sick leave), for instance, could break an employee’s insurance record even while the employment relationship remained intact. Under the new rules, these months are no longer excluded, so the record can now be counted continuously. Low-paid and part-time...

By Resolution No. 256 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 3 August 2026, four new rules have been approved concerning the implementation of compulsory insurance against loss of occupational capacity to work as a result of occupational accidents and occupational diseases. The rules regulate the registration of insured persons and policyholders, calculation of the sum insured, determination of insurance payments, and management of insurance funds. The registration of insured persons and policyholders will generally be maintained centrally through ƏMAS. Information on certain persons whose employment...

A new warning functionality has been introduced in the Labour and Employment Subsystem (ƏMAS) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population to facilitate compliance with the requirements of labour legislation concerning work performed at night. The new functionality automatically warns employers, when concluding employment contracts and preparing work schedules, of the prohibitions and restrictions established by legislation in relation to night work. Under the Labour Code, the period from 22:00 to 06:00 is considered night time. Pursuant to Article 98 of the Code, employees...

Constitutional Law No. LRUz-1158 “On the Tashkent International Financial Center” was adopted and entered into force on July 25, 2026. On July 13, 2026, the President of Uzbekistan signed a constitutional law establishing the Tashkent International Financial Center (adopted by the Legislative Chamber on July 1 and approved by the Senate on July 9). The center will operate under a special legal and currency regime, with its own financial regulator and an independent commercial court, and participants will be granted tax benefits through 2076. The president will set the center’s...

A draft presidential decree, submitted for public discussion, sets out a comprehensive program for reforming Uzbekistan’s insurance market through 2030. The draft introduces new mandatory insurance requirements for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, caps commission fees paid to insurance agents, establishes a tax cashback mechanism for insurance premiums, and shifts industry oversight to an automated regime operated through the information systems of the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP) and the Tax Committee. Introduction of “Imputed” Insurance...

As part of the 2026-2030 Employment Strategy Action Plan, Azerbaijan intends to develop a legal framework for introducing flexible working hours regime, drawing on International Labour Organization standards and international best practices. Under the proposed model, employees would be allowed to choose their start and finish times within agreed time intervals, provided that they complete the applicable weekly working time (generally 40 hours) and remain available during designed core working hours. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, the flexible...

The Azerbaijani Labor Code has been amended to introduce a legal framework for employee share ownership plans. These amendments will provide employers with a clear legal basis for offering shares in the company as a long-term incentive to employees. How can employees receive shares?             Under Article 7-1 of the Labor Code, an employer (or the company’s founder) and an employee may enter into an employee share ownership plan agreement. The agreement may specify that an employee becomes entitled to company shares based...

Based on Presidential Decree No. 246 dated 10.12.2025 and Presidential Resolution No. 359 dated 27.11.2025, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan developed and launched a unified code “UZQR”. It has become mandatory for retail and service businesses starting July 1, 2026. In order to sign up, which is also free of charge, entrepreneurs are required to submit an application through their servicing banks. This system means checkout counters no longer need payment terminals or a pile of different bank stickers — just one code that works with any bank app. The buyer simply...

Starting January 1, 2026, a new state social insurance system has been launched in Uzbekistan. A separate State Social Insurance Fund (SSI Fund) has been created — it takes over the assignment and payment of benefits.  Under Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 796 of December 17, 2025 (in force since December 19, 2025), starting July 1, 2026, this fund will pay sick leave benefits. The first 5 working days of an employee’s illness per calendar year are paid by the employer out of its own funds. The limit is cumulative for the year rather than per individual sick leave...