RESEARCH ON READINESS FOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS FROM UZBEKISTAN FOR COOPERATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES DURING THE FORMATION OF LOCAL ECONOMIC POLICY

Abstract

Changes are taking place in Uzbekistan, which are characteristic of countries in transition from a centralized to a market economy. The country is entering a new era of development, which has an impact on the overall economic picture. After the presidential elections in 2016, a policy of reform and openness began to be implemented in Uzbekistan, which has a great impact on the political situation in the entire Central Asian region. According to many observers, the scale of political changes is unprecedented in the development of Central Asian countries since their independence. Unlike Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, reforms in Uzbekistan were not carried out under external pressure, but were voluntary and spontaneous with strong internal motivation. Due to the fact that the country realized that the centralized development model was unable to respond effectively to numerous internal and external challenges, it began to accelerate internal reforms, making successive changes to adapt to new realities. The positions of Uzbekistan in the international rating rankings are improving.
Despite the successes achieved, the country’s highly centralized governance model does not allow local communities to be effectively involved in the planning and implementation of local policies for economic development. They are not active enough in identifying their infrastructure needs, in preparing community development plans, in implementing projects to modernize or build drinking water, gas and electricity systems, roads, schools and other basic infrastructure and public services. Underestimating the role of local communities in influencing the economic development of their regions is a restraining factor for economic development. Conversely, realizing the role of business organizations in shaping regional policy for local economic development is a great potential that has not yet been fully exploited.
To prove this thesis, the authors conducted a survey of the attitude of business organizations in Uzbekistan to cooperation with local authorities. The results show that business representatives do not particularly rely on local authorities to stimulate the economic development of their cities and regions and, for this reason, do not show a particular desire to cooperate with them. This is a challenge, the overcoming of which can give the country a new impetus in terms of the economic development of the regions and settlements.