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SELF-EMPLOYMENT AS A MEANS OF ENSURING THE WELL-BEING
OF THE POPULATION IN UZBEKISTAN
Mirzakhalilova Damira Minnisalikhovna
Branch of the Russian State University
Oil and Gas named after Gubkin in Tashkent,
Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor
of the Department of Economics of Oil and Gas
Vasser Polina Nikolayevna
Branch of the Russian State University Oil and Gas
named after Gubkin in Tashkent, Student
A set of direct factors for the well-being of the population is the level of
income, labor productivity, ensuring employment of the population, fair
distribution of income, the level of accessibility of healthcare, education, and
information technology. In modern economic conditions, one of the current
threats to the well-being of the population is unemployment, the prevention of
which requires regulation. The regulatory mechanism manifests itself in the
process of regulating the income of the population and has all the characteristics
of an economic category. It expresses real economic relations in society regarding
the creation, primary distribution and redistribution of income as a manifestation
of the economic realization of ownership of factors of production in order to
ensure an increase in the level of income as a factor in the growth of well-being.
The form of expression of the social purpose of the mechanism for regulating
the income of the population is the functions it performs: environment-forming,
distribution, stimulating, social. Self-employment is one of the strategic directions
in the economy, aimed at reducing tensions in the labor market and performing
the above-described regulatory functions [1]. In the economic dictionary, the
term self-employment means employment in labor or management in one's own
household or in one's own company. In most cases, self-employment is work done
as part of one's own business rather than being hired.
It should be noted that self-employment performs the following economic
functions [2]:
1.
Increases the overall share of citizens employed.
2.
Reduces state treasury expenses due to reduced funding for programs
aimed at the unemployed.
3.
Creates a ton of additional jobs and government revenue from taxation of
new individual microenterprises and small businesses.
4.
Helps raise the standard of living of citizens and their incomes.
5.
Reduces the risk of tension in society due to high unemployment and lack
of paid work, caused, in particular, by any crises.
6.
Youth can succeed in this type of employment by solving the problem of
their employment.
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7.
Reduces the risk of a negative process of professional deformation of the
unemployed and other functions.
In Uzbekistan, the use of non-standard forms of employment organization, in
particular self-employment, is an important way to mitigate the situation in
regional labor markets. It opens up the possibility of influencing employment by
limiting the supply of labor on the open labor market, making it possible to
simultaneously limit the large-scale release of employees and prevent a surge in
unemployment. The introduction of non-standard forms of employment is a
measure that meets the interests of both individuals and employers, and society
as a whole, and can, to a certain extent, mitigate the imbalance in the labor market.
In Uzbekistan, the activities of the self-employed are regulated by the
Regulations on the procedure for carrying out activities by a self-employed
person. Initially, it is worth noting the level of taxation. In accordance with this
system, self-employed persons are required to pay only social tax, the fixed rate
of which is 1 Basic Calculated Value (BCV) per year. A significantly important
aspect is that all income received from the entrepreneurial activities of a self-
employed person is completely exempt from personal income tax.
In addition, it should be emphasized that there is no need to maintain
complex tax and financial records, as well as the absence of accounting
requirements. This aspect simplifies administrative barriers, allowing
entrepreneurs to focus on their activities.
An important aspect of this system is the right of self-employed persons to
work with both individuals and legal entities. Since the introduction of this system
from the beginning of March 2023, entrepreneurs can also hire self-employed
individuals as home workers, which opens up new prospects for business
development.
It should also be emphasized that it is possible to provide services to foreign
individuals and legal entities, which helps expand markets and increase potential
income.
However, it is worth noting that the taxation system for self-employed
persons takes into account work experience, which ensures the preservation of
social guarantees and future benefits. And finally, it is important to emphasize
that this system does not require a legal address to carry out business activities,
which provides flexibility and comfort when working, including the possibility of
organizing activities from home.
Today in Uzbekistan there is no term “freelancer” at the legislative level.
However, taking into account the essence of this term (Freelancer is a type of
employment in which a specialist provides himself with work independently), the
conc
ept of “self
-
employment” is equivalent to the concept of “freelancing”. At the
same time, a very important question today is to what extent Uzbekistan is able
to successfully enter the global freelance market. To carry out the assessment, the
World Bank me
thodology “Assessing Country Readiness for Online Outsourcing”
was used. This methodology has been adapted to modern available indicators.
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Thus, to assess Uzbekistan’s readi
ness to enter the freelance market, 27
indicators were used, which were divided into 4 blocks: availability and quality of
talent, costs, infrastructure and creation of favorable conditions [3].
Table 1
Index of readiness of Uzbekistan to enter the freelance market
Indicators
2015 2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Block 1. Availability and
quality of talent
45,7
46,6
48,4
46,6
47,6
55,5
59,7
Block 2. Costs
45,6
48,9
45,6
47,0
51,2
53,7
57,9
Block 3. Infrastructure
38,0
41,5
44,8
48,8
53,3
59,3
64,2
Block 4. Creation of
favorable conditions
46,2
46,3
50,6
49,0
45,4
58,1
54,3
Сomposite index
43,9
45,8
47,4
47,9
49,4
56,7
59,0
As a result of the measures taken in the country, the Index of Uzbekistan’s
readiness to enter the freelance market increased from 43.9 to 59.0. The greatest
impact on this was made by improvements in the indicators of block 3. Thus, the
average indicator for the “Infrastructure” block increased from 38.0 to 64.2. The
greatest growth was noted in such indicators as the capacity of the international
data network - an increase of 74.7 times (16.1 Gbit/s in 2015 and 1200 Gbit/s in
2021), the number of users (individuals) of remote banking systems - 20.2 times
(979.5 thousand people in 2015 and 19,705.2 thousand people in 2021), the
number of mobile communication base stations - 2.8 times (16.3 thousand in
2015 and 45.9 thousand units in 2021), the number of fixed broadband access
subscribers - 2.4 times (5.8 subscribers per 100 people in 2015 and 14.4
subscribers in 2021), Internet coverage of the population - 2 ,2 times (26.6
connections per 100 people in 2015 and 58.4 connections in 2021) and others [3].
Also, significant growth is observed in other blocks in such indicators as the
higher education enrollment rate - an increase of 3.8 times (8.3% of the
population 18-22 years old in 2015 and 31.3% in 2021), the total number of
Internet users in the country increased by 2.4 times (10.2 million people in 2015
and 24.7 million people in 2021), the cost of tariffs for Internet services (external
channel) for providers decreased by 86.4 times ($259.3 in 2015 and $3.0 in 2021),
exports of ICT goods
–
an increase of 2.4 times (0.07% share in total exports of
goods in 2015 and 0. 16% in 2021). In general, the assessment research showed
that positive changes are taking place in Uzbekistan aimed at supporting
freelancers and creating the conditions necessary for them. The coronavirus
pandemic has accelerated these processes through a sharp increase in the
digitalization of the country's economy [3].
In light of modern economic and social challenges, the development of self-
employment in Uzbekistan is becoming an important strategic task. To achieve
this goal, efforts need to be focused on several key areas.
First of all, infrastructure should be developed, providing access to
technology, Internet connections and financial resources, which will allow
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potential self-employed individuals to effectively conduct their activities and
create new projects. An important element of stimulating self-employment is a
correct tax policy, which eases the tax burden for self-employed citizens and
creates conditions for their more active participation in the economy. Expanding
the range of activities that can be defined as self-employed also contributes to the
development of this form of entrepreneurship, providing citizens with more
opportunities to choose and implement their business ideas. The development of
self-employment in Uzbekistan will not only create additional sources of income
for citizens, but also contributes to economic growth, the creation of new jobs and
increased tax revenues to the budget. This will strengthen the financial stability
of the state and improve the quality of life of the population, and therefore the
level of their well-being.
References:
1.
Baytenizov D.T., Dubina I.N., Azatbek T.A., Campbell David F.J., Karayannis Elias G.
Economic functions of self-employment // Economics Profession Business. 2018. No. 3.
2.
Klimonova A.N. Welfare of the population as a target for the activities of the state:
essence, elements, factors of well-being // Socio-economic phenomena and processes. 2016. No.
12.
3.
Assessing the readiness of Uzbekistan to enter the freelance market. IMRS.
https://imrs.uz/archives/news/freelance.
THE ROLE OF GENDER NORMS AND POWER RELATIONS IN SHAPING
ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING, AND HOW THEY CAN BE
ANALYZED THROUGH A GENDER LENS
Mamadjonova Sarvinoz
PhD student of Westminster International
University in Tashkent
Sharofutdinova Dilobar Toshpulatovna
Senior Lecturer, Department of Organization of
Pharmaceutical Labor at Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute
Gender norms and power relations are pivotal in shaping environmental
decision-making processes and outcomes, often in ways that go
unnoticed.
Research has shown that gender inequalities can influence the
allocation of production assets within households, leading to male dominance in
decision-making regarding innovation uptake and use of outputs [1]. Additionally,
gender has been recognized as a key factor in understanding differences,
inequalities, and power relations in environmental justice struggles worldwide,
particularly in movements related to bodily wellbeing, land protection, livelihood,
and climate justice [2].
Analyzing these dynamics through a gender lens is
essential for comprehending how societal expectations and power imbalances
can influence environmental policies, practices, and their impacts.
