New opportunities for entrepreneurs in public procurement

A meeting of the UzLiDeP faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis began with a discussion of the significance of the President of Uzbekistan’s address at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), held in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone.

Deputies highlighted that the key initiatives put forward by the President would further strengthen cooperation within the CIS in areas such as trade, investment, transport, energy, food security, and digital security. They expressed confidence that Uzbekistan, which will assume the CIS chairmanship next year, would make a significant contribution to developing and deepening mutually beneficial and effective cooperation among the Commonwealth countries.

The faction meeting also featured an extensive discussion of a draft law aimed at improving the public procurement system.

As noted during the meeting, the draft law seeks to enhance transparency and competition in public procurement, improve procurement procedures based on international best practices, and encourage greater business participation in public procurement.

The draft law provides for including information on public procurement results, including direct contracts, in State Budget execution reports, as well as disclosing regional data on goods supplied, works performed and services rendered under public procurement contracts.

It also envisages establishing regional commissions to review public procurement complaints. This will help strengthen accountability and oversight in the sector.

During the discussions, faction members Zafar Khudoyberdiyev, Saydullo Azimov and Ulugbek Qobulov highlighted the importance of the draft law, noting that its text had been further refined in preparation for the second reading based on proposals submitted by deputies. They also shared their views on certain provisions of the draft law and suggested further improvements.

At the same time, several issues prompted lively debate. In particular, faction member Dilmurod Artiqov asked whether to establish a unified procedure for reviewing complaints and a clear division of responsibilities between the national and regional commissions. He noted that these measures would help ensure consistent handling of complaints from businesses participating in public procurement, clarify which commission to approach, reduce unnecessary costs and delays for entrepreneurs, and better protect their rights.

Otabek Musurmonov, the deputy responsible for the draft law, and relevant officials provided detailed explanations on the issues raised during the discussions.

“The draft law prompted extensive debate. Its adoption will help increase competition and transparency in public procurement, expand opportunities for local entrepreneurs to participate in procurement procedures and, most importantly, ensure the efficient and targeted use of budget funds”, said faction member Mr. Musurmonov.

Following the discussions, the deputies supported the draft law.