On November 5, 2020, a meeting was held between the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, Jamshid Kuchkarov, with the Adviser to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on economic development, effective governance and international cooperation Sir Suma Chakrabarti.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Uzbek side informed about the ongoing reforms and further actions for the development of the country in the following areas: regional cooperation, green economy, reforms in tax and customs systems, reform of state-owned companies, introduction of corporate governance principles in state-owned enterprises, increasing transparency in the system of state procurement, reforming labor laws, and improving the investment climate.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the strategic directions for continuing the reform program for the long term, on the modernization and competitiveness of key sectors of the country's economy, deepening the reform of the public administration system and dramatically improving the quality of management personnel, as well as improving the investment climate and business environment in the country, and human capital development.

Suma Chakrabarti praised the ongoing reforms and positive economic indicators despite the pandemic, and also noted Uzbekistan's strong commitment to continuing the course of reforms. In particular, he stated that he sees his role in assisting in such areas as ensuring the effectiveness of reforms (management structure, the issue of increasing the capacity of ministries and departments, simplifying decision-making), engaging civil society (working with youth, improving the culture of feedback), international image of the country (study of the best practices and experience of developed countries with a view to the possibility of their implementation in Uzbekistan).

Following the discussion, Mr. Suma Chakrabarti showed readiness for further cooperation, support and assistance in continuing the reform program.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan