Uzbekistan intends to permit small retail and service businesses to operate on the ground floors of residential buildings without the need to convert residential premises into non-residential ones.
Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Sherzod Khidoyatov reported in an interview with O‘zbekiston 24 that this measure is being introduced at the instruction of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Ground floor residential apartments will be able to be used to open enterprises such as hairdressers, sewing workshops, beauty salons, and other small service companies.
The Minister specified that using the premises for commercial purposes will require the installation of a separate entrance and adaptation of the interior space.
The Ministry of Construction, together with the National Committee for Sustainable Urbanization and Housing Market, sanitary bodies, and other agencies, is preparing a draft document that is expected to be submitted for approval within a month.
According to Khidoyatov, if calculations are made at the current time, there are more than 46 thousand apartments on the ground floors. This initiative potentially provides employment for over 200 thousand people and will have a significant impact on household incomes.
The discussion of this initiative took place on September 9 at an expanded meeting chaired by Shavkat Mirziyoyev on issues of employment and increasing income in the regions. Furthermore, the president instructed the authorities, together with the Headquarters of Reforms, to study every mahalla and district, collecting the necessary data.
Khidoyatov added that the Ministry of Construction will immediately begin carrying out the relevant work in all subordinate organizations and districts.
