The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has announced the implementation of five new initiatives in the field of financial technologies. This was reported by the head of the regulator, Timur Ishmetov, during the opening of the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in Tashkent.
The first of these initiatives is the development of a national strategy covering the period from 2026 to 2030. This strategy aims to develop the capabilities for using innovations, modern financial infrastructure, capital, and qualified personnel.
The second initiative is the creation of an Innovation Center. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2026, the Center will begin accepting its first residents. Startups will be able to participate in incubation and acceleration programs, as well as receive assistance in organizing their activities and entering the market.
The third initiative involves establishing a special venture fund that will support promising projects in the financial technology sector. The Central Bank is negotiating with international management companies to attract investments and partners.
The fourth initiative relates to new payment standards and open banking. The Central Bank is developing APIs and open banking payment standards that will allow for the expansion of financial services across various jurisdictions. Additionally, fast interbank payments and an alternative credit scoring model based on artificial intelligence will be developed.
According to Ishmetov, the goal of these measures is to create a financial ecosystem that improves service quality, expands consumer choice, and strengthens competition through the secure and responsible use of data.
The fifth initiative is a human resource training program. Under this program, it is planned to train 5,000 young specialists in financial technologies by 2030. The head of the Central Bank noted that the first group will begin training by the end of 2026 under a program developed with the participation of universities from Singapore and GFTN.