LocationsStrengthening Public Finance: Slovak Experts Shared Budgeting Reforms in Uzbekistan
October 1, 2025
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan
Tashkent, 26 September, 2025 – A delegation of Slovak experts successfully completed a five-day mission to Uzbekistan, conducting consultations with the national experts, providing advisory support and sharing best practices in public finance management, including the integration of SDGs and green development priorities into the strategic planning and budgeting process in Uzbekistan.
During the mission, experts met with representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Ecology, Environment Protection and Climate Change, the Ministry of Energy, as well as the Committee on Budget and Economic Affairs of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, the Agency for Strategic Reforms and others. They discussed the budgetary process in Uzbekistan, existing institutional mechanisms for SDG implementation, national green agenda with the Uzbek counterparts as well as shared their views on further enhancing the integration of SDGs into strategic planning and public budgeting and strengthening the national capacities in the mentioned areas.
“I think we share some of the same challenges that need to be addressed. I hope our story was helpful for developing budgetary practices and public finance management in Uzbekistan, and that you can also learn from our experience, including our mistakes, so as not to repeat them,” stated Matej Petroci, expert analyst at the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. “I believe this will help in achieving the strategic goals you have set”.
As a part of the mission, the workshop on “International good practices on SDGs and green priorities integration into strategic planning and budgeting” was held on 26 September in Tashkent. The event brought together representatives of ministries and government agencies in the finance sector.
During the workshop, experts shared Slovakia’s experience in modernizing the budgetary system, highlighting that budgeting should be seen not only as accounting, but as a strategic instrument for aligning resources effectively with national priorities. The presentations introduced practical tools, including expenditure tagging, spending reviews, investment evaluation and regulatory impact assessments. These practices help improve efficiency and transparency of public spending while supporting progress toward sustainable development.
“The workshop with Slovak experts was useful. Their experience in analyzing expenditure efficiency and the practical recommendations they shared were especially relevant for Uzbekistan. We intend to scale this expertise to improve the effectiveness of public spending in the country,” said Shohruh Ishankulov, Deputy Director of the Budget Department at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The mission was arranged within the “Public Finance for Development in Uzbekistan” project, implemented with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and funded by the Government of the Slovak Republic, supports the transformation of the country’s planning and budgeting system by aligning it with the SDGs, integrating green priorities, and strengthening program-based budgeting. Its key activities include expert assessments, policy recommendations, capacity-building workshops, and specialized training, with international experts working alongside local specialists and national partners to conduct analyses and prepare reports.
Contact for additional information:
- Zilola Gaybullaeva, Communication Analyst at the Public Finance for Development in Uzbekistan project, zilola.gaybullaeva@undp.org
