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Measures to Support the Most Affected Sectors
First, to support tourism and its directly related industries Uzbekistan has taken measures to
preserve hundreds of thousands of jobs and qualified specialists, and maintain their income.
Specifically, several privileges have been provided for taxes and fees on tourism-related activities:
Tour operators, travel agents, and hotel service entities, Uzbekistan Airports JSC, Uzbekistan
Airways State Unitary Enterprise, and Uzaeronavigatsiya Center SUE have been exempted
from property and land taxes (until the end of 2020), and the social tax rate was reduced to
one per cent. As a result, it is estimated that the above enterprises will save over 130 billion
soms;
It was established that tour operators, travel agents, and accommodation facilities will pay
only half (50 per cent) of income tax by the end of 2020;
The right to postpone losses without limiting their sizes based on the results of 2020 and
2021 is granted to tour operators, travel agents, and accommodation facilities, as provided
for by the Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
The calculation and payment of tourist fees has been suspended until January 1
st
2021; and
Accommodation facilities have been allowed to pay the local fee for the right to retail sales
of alcohol products in installments for 12 months.
Also, to support this area, their organisational and economic sources have been identified:
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For the tourism sector, it is planned to allocate more than 20 billion soms from the Anti-
Crisis Fund;
At the expense of the Tourism Support Fund, it is planned to allocate one-time targeted
interest-free loans for 12 months;
1.5 billion soms have been allocated to support start-up projects, innovative business ideas,
information programs, and services in the tourism sector;
It is envisaged to grant up to 100 million soms for projects on organising foreign cuisines,
thematic food outlets, as well as food and souvenir delivery services;
To develop and promote new tourism products and destinations, it is planned to allocate
five million som grants for the guides, and 10 million som grants for tour operators;
For the period from March 1
st
to June 1
st
2020, interest expenses on previously received
loans for the construction of accommodation facilities will be reimbursed;
From June 1
st
2020 to January 1
st
2022, a part of the interest expenses up to ten percentage
points will be covered on previously obtained loans for the construction of accommodation
facilities;
Up to ten percentage points of expenses will be covered on the loans granted to coordinate
tourism facilities with new sanitary and hygiene requirements;
Up to ten percentage points will be repaid on the loans received by tourism entities to
replenish working capital;
Until December 31
st
2021, a ten per cent subsidy of the cost of hotel services will be
allocated;
Tour operators and travel agents will receive 15 USD as stimulating subsidies for each
foreign tourist, whom they have delivered to the republic and rendered services;
If a tour operator organises a tour in Uzbekistan for a group of foreign tourists of at least ten
people, 30 per cent of the cost of air and train tickets will be subsidised for this operator;
By June 1
st
2021, it is planned to allocate from five to 15 million soms for each room,
depending on the category of hotel, to purchase or upgrade its category, as part of the
renovation, reconstruction, and strengthening of the logistical capacity of hotels’
To build accommodation facilities, the main debt on previously issued loans will be extended
from October 1
st
2020, ranging from 18 months to 24 months; and
Equipment, disinfection devices, their components and spare parts, equipment for
contactless control, odorless disinfectants are exempted from customs payments until
January 1
st
2022.
Second, Uzbekistan approved an integrated action plan to mitigate the negative impact of the
COVID-19 related global economic crisis on the development of its textile and clothing industry. In
pursuance of the plan:
To further support textile enterprises and clusters, increase the competitiveness of products,
the republic transited to international exchange prices, which made it possible to reduce raw
material prices by ten per cent; and
64 types of imported raw materials essential for the textile industry have been exempted
from customs duties (until January 1
st
2022).
Uzbekistan has introduced a simplified procedure (until December 31
st
2020), which provides for a
full refund of value-added tax on products exported by textile enterprises. That is, as the products of
textile enterprises leave the republic, the value-added tax will be fully refunded. It also envisioned
drastically scaling up exports of finished products, establishing up-to-date large textile and sewing
clusters under the international brand, employing at least a thousand people. Due to timely action,
the activity of enterprises has been resumed in Uzbekistan, all jobs have been saved, and production
and export volumes continue to grow.
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