At a government meeting today on problems in the standardization and certification system, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev sharply criticized the approach of some officials who, instead of supporting entrepreneurs, are themselves becoming a barrier to doing business.

According to him, some officials, instead of studying global trends, correctly assessing risks and giving way for business, on the contrary, are creating obstacles. He warned that tough measures would be taken against such people.

Speaking on the impact of global economic and trade restrictions, the head of state emphasized that Uzbekistan, like other countries, is facing problems caused by volatility in global markets.

“I repeat once again: whoever says that ‘the current situation in the world will not affect us’ is deeply mistaken. In such conditions, we must confidently move forward, relying only on our own strength and internal capabilities,” he said.

He added that over the past five years, Uzbekistan has risen 25 notches in the Harvard University Economic Complexity Index, ranking 80th among 133 countries, and exports have increased 2.2 times.

However, in his opinion, many leaders are failing to realize the seriousness of the situation and the need to work twice as hard. The President emphasized that the heads of all ministries, departments and regions should personally engage in production and export, developing clear plans.

According to the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies, 162 types of Uzbek goods have already been recognized as competitive in international markets, but their promotion requires prompt decisions. Over the past week alone, more than 3,000 meetings with entrepreneurs were held.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev underscored that businesses are raising more and more new issues that need to be urgently addressed in order to adapt to fluctuations in international markets. Businesses have many questions for ministers, governors, mayors, banks and industry leaders.

The President also stated at the meeting that international institutions that ensured stability in global trade were losing influence. According to him, this could cause a slowdown in the global economy and serious risks for Uzbekistan's export-oriented industries.