During the IV Tashkent International Investment Forum, Deputy Business Ombudsman J. Urunov addressed a key session focused on legal reforms and mechanisms for resolving international disputes in Uzbekistan. His speech highlighted the state’s commitment to ensuring a secure and transparent investment climate for both domestic and foreign entrepreneurs.

“Today’s forum serves as a platform for discussing achievements and current issues in the investment sector, as well as the main platform for dialogue between the state and business,” said Mr. Urunov at the beginning of his address.

He emphasized that Uzbekistan has elevated the improvement and protection of the investment climate to the level of state policy, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. “In 2017, at the initiative of our esteemed President, the Business Ombudsman Institute was established in the republic in order to effectively organize the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs.”

The Business Ombudsman Institute, backed by a special law adopted in 2017, functions as an out-of-court mechanism for defending entrepreneurs’ rights. Its legal foundation is further strengthened by Article 33 of the Law “On Investments and Investment Activities”, which specifically outlines its role in the investment sphere. “The fact that the activities of the Business Ombudsman Institute are regulated by legislation indicates that special attention is paid to its status and that it operates in accordance with international standards,” Urunov noted.

The institute’s responsibilities include filing lawsuits on behalf of entrepreneurs without state duty, issuing formal representations and warnings to government bodies, and initiating administrative accountability procedures. “These powers serve to resolve the issues not only of our local entrepreneurs, but also of foreign investors in Uzbekistan,” he added.

To overcome capacity limitations, the Institute has invested in digital platforms such as “Unified State Control” and “Entrepreneur Virtual Office”, allowing it to monitor the legality of inspections and deliver timely legal assistance remotely. “We have placed special emphasis on digitalization to cover entrepreneurs to the maximum extent,” Urunov stated.

Over the past eight years, the Business Ombudsman Institute has received nearly 50,000 appeals from entrepreneurs, resolving about 40,000 cases. Among its accomplishments:

• Over 800 lawsuits filed in courts
• 1,000 formal representations, 500 warnings, and 11,000 administrative violation cases
• 1,300 officials held disciplinarily accountable
• Over 1,300 unlawful government decisions canceled
• 10,000 officials subjected to administrative liability
• 12,600 hectares of illegally seized land returned to entrepreneurs

“As I noted above, the Business Ombudsman Institute also develops proposals to solve systemic problems. These proposals are aimed at eliminating administrative barriers to entrepreneurial activity and abolishing outdated norms and requirements.”