Worldwide, more than 20 percent of retail trade is accounted for by e-commerce, while in Uzbekistan, this figure is 15.2 trillion UZS, or 4 percent.

It is expected that this indicator will reach 22.6 percent by 2027. This was reported at a meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

At the meeting, a draft law to improve the e-commerce sector was considered in its first reading. It was noted that the rapid development of digital technologies in the country requires establishing a national e-commerce platform equipped with modern logistics infrastructure and revising the legal framework to protect the rights and legitimate interests of market participants.

The draft law submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers introduces concepts related to new areas of consumer relations in e-commerce, such as “operator of electronic trading platforms and order aggregators”, “digital streaming service”, “e-commerce participant”, and “cross-border e-commerce”. In addition, the document aims to improve business processes and tax mechanisms in this sector. It will contribute to the formation of a transparent and open e-commerce ecosystem, the accelerated development of electronic trading platforms and services, and a reduction in shadow turnover in the economy.

The draft law was adopted in its first reading.

Mukhtarama Komilova, UzA