Government to allocate over 2 trillion UZS for funding successful “Initiative Budget” projects
The Uzbek government has announced a new break for mahallas (organizations) that have won twice in a row in recent seasons within the “Initiative Budget” framework. This decision aims to create a fair chance for all mahallas to participate and win in the upcoming seasons.
The voting stage for the second season of the “Initiative Budget” process began on August 22, with more than 27,000 projects submitted by citizens. This season, over 23,000 projects were selected and are expected to receive funding of over 2 trillion UZS. The process now includes four stages: proposal submission, moderation, promotion of shortlisted projects, and voting.
Shokhrukh Eshonkulov, Deputy Director of the State Budget Policy Department, highlighted the importance of citizen participation in the “Initiative Budget” process. He emphasized that the principle of “One citizen – one vote” has been introduced to ensure fair voting.
Starting from the 2nd season of 2025, mahallas that have won twice in a row will be given a break for the next two seasons. This means that these mahallas will have limited opportunities to submit projects for funding. This break period will allow other mahallas to have a better chance at winning in the future seasons of the “Initiative Budget”.
Overall, the “Initiative Budget” process aims to empower citizens to propose and vote on projects that will benefit their communities, and this new measure will ensure a more equitable distribution of funds among all participating mahallas.
