World Bank Document

II. 

     COUNTRY CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA 

 

Political and Social Context 

 

2. 

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country and its 31 million people, over 

one-third of whom are under the age of 14, comprise nearly half the region's total.  With a 

land area of 447,000 km

2

, about the size of California or Spain, Uzbekistan is the only Central 

Asian country to border the other four Central Asian States and is one of only two double 

landlocked countries in the world. It also shares a short border with Afghanistan to the south. 

 

3. 

Uzbekistan’s government and public administration are highly centralized, with 

public accountability and transparency remaining major challenges, though gradual 

adjustments are being made. The powers of the Presidency and Cabinet of Ministers are far-

reaching and delegation of authority to national ministries and local governments is limited. 

During the last CPS, the government took steps to increase transparency, including publication of 

the approved budget and the use of any extra-budgetary funds on the Ministry of Finance’s website, 

including updates on budget execution.  This information would also be reflected in Government 

Finance Statistics (GFS) and Financial Soundness Indicators on the IMF’s website. In addition, 

the 2014 Law on Transparency of State Bodies and Public Entities is intended to ensure regular 

publication of, and public access to information on government decision making. Despite this 

progress, the limited availability of key economic, financial, and social data continues to hamper 

detailed economic analysis and the ability of the Bank to provide targeted policy advice. 

 

4.