In Uzbekistan, food service businesses have received UZS 100 billion in value-added tax (VAT) refunds under the VAT cashback system, according to FinTech & Retail CA. This was announced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

According to the president, Uzbekistan has implemented a number of measures in 2026 aimed at improving the business environment and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs.

One of the new initiatives was the introduction of a system allowing food service businesses to receive partial VAT refunds. As a result, cafes and restaurants received UZS 100 billion in tax cashback.

The VAT registration threshold was also increased from UZS 1 billion to UZS 5 billion.

Additional support measures were implemented under the National Industrial Chain program. Private enterprises received orders from major state-owned companies worth a total of UZS 4 trillion.

In addition, strategic enterprises compiled a list of more than 650 new products for localization. According to government estimates, this has created an additional market worth around $1 billion for businesses.

The changes reflect Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to expand opportunities for private businesses and promote the development of local production.