Measures discussed to reduce bureaucracy and strengthen construction oversight

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on reducing bureaucracy and increasing the efficiency of oversight in the construction, housing, and communal services sectors.

The large-scale work being carried out in the construction sector contributes to the development of modern housing, social facilities, and convenient infrastructure. At the same time, the facilities under construction must be safe, high-quality, and fully compliant with environmental and urban planning requirements.

During the presentation, proposals were considered to streamline public services in the sector, reduce bureaucracy in permitting procedures, digitalize construction oversight, and reduce the human factor.

Currently, obtaining a construction permit requires 8 documents, and in some cases the process takes from 3 to 12 months. In this regard, proposals were made to abolish the requirement for 2 documents and automatically generate another 2 through digital integration. As a result, the time required for submitting and reviewing applications will be reduced sevenfold, while unnecessary red tape for clients will be minimized.

Under the new procedure, the issuance of a design permit and an architectural-planning assignment will be combined into a single document. The process is planned to be carried out automatically through the ShaffofAI system, eliminating the human factor. As a result, procedures that previously took up to 30 working days will be fully automated.

A new procedure will also be introduced for licensing design and survey organizations, construction contractors, and expert institutions. Currently, applicants are required to submit from 3 to 30 documents, while the decision-making process takes up to 14 working days. Under the proposed system, data will be automatically verified through electronic databases, eliminating the requirement to attach documents. The time required to issue a license will be reduced from 14 working days to just 5 minutes, while the decision-making process will be accelerated by 97 percent.

It is also planned to simplify the process of commissioning construction projects. Last year, more than 20,000 applications in this area were rejected for various reasons, forcing clients to spend from 1 to 3 months correcting deficiencies.

Now, for the commissioning of state-funded projects, the number of required documents will be reduced from 3 to 1. Conclusions of technical and author’s supervision, declarations of conformity, and other relevant data will be generated through digital systems. As a result, the commissioning period for projects will be reduced from 2 months to 15 days.

At the same time, the practice of refusing to commission projects due to architectural or planning changes that do not affect structural integrity or fire safety will be revised. In such cases, projects may be commissioned subject to minor adjustments.

During the presentation, special attention was paid to the digital supervision of construction projects.

Currently, there is no mandatory requirement for the installation of video surveillance cameras at construction sites. In this regard, it is proposed, at the initial stage, to install cameras at social facilities under construction, multi-apartment residential buildings, large commercial and industrial sites, as well as hotel and tourism complexes valued at more than 3 billion soums.

This will allow for the early detection of unauthorized deviations from approved designs, ensure accurate accounting of workers at construction sites, prevent informal wage payments, reduce the shadow economy, and strengthen labor safety.

The issue of improving the effectiveness of technical and author’s supervision in construction was also considered. In 2025, technical and author’s supervision specialists identified 42,000 deficiencies at construction sites, while inspectors later uncovered more than 250,000 additional violations. This indicates that, in some cases, supervisory activities are not being carried out effectively enough.

In this regard, proposals were made to introduce a registry and rating system for technical and author’s supervision organizations through the Shaffof Qurilish platform. Their activities will be monitored remotely, while all executive documentation will be transferred to electronic format. Supervisors with low ratings will undergo retraining, while certificates of specialists demonstrating high performance will be extended.

Effective mechanisms will also be introduced to strengthen quality control over construction materials. Every construction material delivered to a site will be registered in the nazorat.mc.uz electronic system, and documents confirming product quality will be mandatory for upload into the platform. It is also proposed to establish administrative liability for contractors using substandard materials.

New approaches will also be introduced in the field of laboratory testing. To ensure timely testing at construction sites in remote areas, it is proposed to establish mobile construction testing laboratories. This will double the coverage of facilities, enable the prompt receipt of test results, and ensure compliance with established standards.

At the presentation, the issue of preventing illegal construction was also discussed in detail. As of April 1, a total of 3,791 illegal construction projects had been identified across the country, including 1,933 located in industrial zones. Some facilities were found to lack land rights documentation, design permits, or conclusions from urban planning councils and expert review bodies.

To prevent such violations, proposals were made to send electronic notifications to citizens and legal entities regarding the requirements of construction legislation from the moment land rights are obtained, integrate the Onlayn Mahalla and Shaffof Qurilish systems, and strengthen legal liability for the construction of facilities without permits.

The issue of strengthening oversight in the management of multi-apartment housing stock was also reviewed.

Current legislation lacks sufficient mechanisms for the prompt application of administrative measures against individuals who illegally dismantle load-bearing structures in multi-apartment buildings. While 563 such cases were recorded in 2023, their number reached 2,484 in 2025.

Unauthorized reconstruction in buildings that have been in operation for more than 50 years poses a particular risk. There are 15,270 such multi-apartment buildings across the country. In this regard, proposals were made to restrict category changes and reconstruction works for such buildings, as well as to grant the inspectorate authority to directly impose fines for the dismantling of load-bearing structures.

The issue of strengthening human resource capacity in the sector was also in focus.

Tasks were set to establish joint educational programs at universities in Tashkent, Namangan, and Karshi together with the Vienna University of Austria and Sapienza University of Italy, send promising specialists for internships in developed countries, and create a system for implementing newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice.

The President emphasized that all proposed innovations in the sector must be closely aligned with practical needs. After hearing the opinions of entrepreneurs participating from regional studios, the Head of State endorsed the proposals and issued relevant instructions to responsible officials.