Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree "On Measures to Improve the System of Providing Financial Assistance to Involve the Population in Entrepreneurial Activities and Ensure Employment."

The document outlines new steps to enhance support for disadvantaged populations.

This decree introduces a system of interest-free loans aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activity, providing working capital, and purchasing necessary equipment for individuals from poor families who are included in the Unified Social Protection Register and the Register of the Poor.

Ineffective subsidies, which were not in demand and had long been unused, will be replaced by loan assistance.

As a result, subsidies that yielded insufficient results and failed to attract public interest will be abolished, and duplicative forms will be consolidated into a single system.

Instead, poor families will be able to rely on grants and interest-free loans, which will help them start businesses and develop agriculture based on their professional specialization.

Starting from 1 January 2026, financial assistance to the population will be provided through social cards, ensuring clearer and more systematic implementation of financial support.

By 20 March 2025, the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s central office will establish a Department that will evaluate the effectiveness and coordinate subsidies, loans, and grants.

As part of the "From Poverty to Prosperity" program, new forms of financial assistance are being introduced, including subsidies for citizens who have served prison sentences, interest-free loans for new entrepreneurs, as well as support for agriculture and horticulture, including purchasing equipment, creating jobs, and developing infrastructure.