The presidential Mirziyoyev signed a decree on mandatory switching paying for specific goods and services to cashless form starting April 1.
The Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee Jahongir Abdiev explained the technical restrictions on cash payments during a press conference Friday.
He stated that the reform's primary goal is to shrink the "shadow economy." "Our main objective is addressing the so-called unobserved economy in the country. The goal is to reduce it by 1.3 times. Another key target is increasing the share of cashless payments in trade and services—areas where the shadow economy is particularly prevalent," he said.
The government aims to bring the ratio of cashless consumer payments in these sectors to at least 75%. Abdiev noted that the public is already accustomed to digital payments, citing the ease of paying utility bills via mobile apps at any time of day.
Affected Goods and Services
The new requirements apply to approximately 28,000 items, roughly 7% of all goods in circulation:
- Alcohol and Tobacco: About 22,000 items (due to the wide variety).
- Gas Stations: Sale of oil/gas products and electric vehicle charging.
- High-Value Purchases: Any goods or services costing over 25 million sums.
- vehiclesand Housing: 561 types of real estate and vehicles (manufactured within the last 10 years).
- Governmental Services: 56 different types of governmental services.
How It Will Work
As of April 1, cash payments for these items will be technically blocked at checkout. According to Abdiev, 58 service centers managing cash register equipment have already updated their software.
"For example, if you go to a shop and buy sausage, pasta, sugar, and a pack of cigarettes—when the items are scanned, the 'cash' button on the register will become inactive because of the cigarettes. Usually, registers have buttons for 'cash,' 'card,' or 'marketplace.' In this case, the 'cash' option will simply be disabled," he explained.
The official also explained the new payment procedure for house and car purchases: funds will be processed through escrow accounts. Authorities explain that this will increase transaction security and reduce the risk of fraud. The price remains flexible, and some transactions are exempt from the new regime.
