Uzbekistan Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA)

When President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in September 2016, he set out to completely transform Uzbekistan’s government and economy and open the country up to the global community. The new Government launched an ambitious reform agenda that began reorganizing institutions, opening markets, and loosening some of the old Government’s grips on society. The global impact of digital technologies on modern economies and societies were well-recognized, and the Government put digital transformation high on its agenda. The official “Year of Science, Enlightenment and Digital Economic Development” in 2020 brought to the forefront the importance of embracing digital technologies to enhance economic competitiveness and create quality jobs for Uzbekistan’s growing, young population. At the same time, the social and economic challenges of COVID-19 deepened the Government’s commitment to using digital technologies in its own operations and integrating digital technologies across economic sectors while also accelerating the pace of digital adoption among the general public. To help guide the country through the next decade of changes, the Government adopted the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy (Digital Uzbekistan Strategy) in October 2020. The Digital Uzbekistan Strategy sets out five priority areas for development: Digital infrastructure; e-Government; Digital economy; National IT sector; and IT education.