2025-01-19-世界银行-为您服务_乌兹别克斯坦服务导向型增长的前景（英）_87页_6mb

Services Sector Overview and Structural Transformation

The services sector is central to Uzbekistan's economy, contributing over 50% of employment and 44% of value added. Its share in employment has consistently offset declines in agriculture. Female employment is concentrated in services, but productivity gaps remain with global economies; skills, regulatory barriers, and low contestability hinder growth.

Key Challenges and Opportunities

• Policy Agenda: Uzbekistan must prioritize progress in contestability, connectivity, and capabilities to boost private sector-led services growth, consistent with national strategy objectives.

• Contestability: High trade restrictions across nearly all services subsectors (STRI scores indicate "major" or "very major" restrictions) necessitate reforms to reduce barriers, improve market openness, and promote competition.

• Connectivity: Infrastructure deficits in both transport ("double-landlocked") and digital (low broadband speeds/coverage) constrain trade and economic links. Regulatory reforms are needed for customs and other trade-related procedures.

• Capabilities: Higher education enrollment is low relative to peer countries despite a focus on STEM fields. Improving skills, particularly digital literacy, is vital for firm efficiency and productivity in services.

Case studies and CGE simulations show significant economic gains from opening service trade and enhancing connectivity, but challenges in removing data localization requirements and SOE dominance remain at barriers to modern growth.

Main Recommendations

Execute reforms focusing on:

1. Reducing trade barriers, particularly for cross-border delivery (mode 1), and promoting FDI in key sectors.
2. Improving infrastructure investments (digital and physical) and enhancing regulatory efficiency.
3. Strengthening workforce skills with upgraded vocational training and management practices.
4. Tailoring policies by sector: enabling services and global innovators require stronger connectivity and contestability; low-skilled services need basic digital tools and better land access policies.

Uzbekistan must balance state control with market competition to position services as an innovator economy.