President Mirziyoyev Reviews Measures to Enhance Uzbekistan’s Transport and Logistics System
Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a presentation today to review strategies for developing Uzbekistan’s transport and logistics system.
Over the past seven years, domestic freight carriers have experienced significant growth, with their fleet expanding sevenfold to 26,000 vehicles. This has increased their share in international transportation from 35% to 60%. However, the global geopolitical climate has posed new challenges for the sector, doubling delivery times for westbound cargo and increasing costs by 1.5 times. Certain border crossings in Europe have also been closed, further complicating logistics.
In response, President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of diversifying foreign trade routes and facilitating transit cargo transportation through alternative pathways. Key measures include simplifying border procedures and reducing or mutually eliminating transit fees to improve efficiency.
To support domestic freight forwarders, value-added tax (VAT) will no longer be applied to their services in international transportation. This policy aims to increase the share of local companies in the forwarding sector to 45-50% and double the volume of international freight transport. Additionally, the export of transport services is projected to reach $3 billion.
Transit shipments through Uzbekistan are also a priority. The nation’s improved standing in the World Bank’s logistics index, alongside enhanced transit potential, is expected to attract greater investment and strengthen trade and economic ties. Responsible agencies have been tasked with increasing freight flows by implementing an electronic queuing system, reducing border crossing times to 20 minutes, and introducing online vehicle tracking.
The discussion also addressed the non-linear taxi sector. Two years ago, individuals were allowed to work as self-employed taxi drivers, increasing the number of drivers sixfold to 457,000. President Mirziyoyev announced that this temporary measure will now be made permanent.
Uzbekistan has also seen the emergence of 151 aggregator companies providing convenient services to connect drivers with passengers. Moving forward, the government will regulate these companies to clearly define their responsibilities to the state, drivers, and passengers, ensuring a balanced and efficient market.
