What prevents Turkish investors from investing in Uzbekistan?

The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Turkey Alisher Azamkhujayev told Kun.uz correspondent about the reasons that discourage Turkish entrepreneurs from investing in Uzbekistan.

According to Azamkhujayev, the main reasons that stop Turkish and foreign investors as a whole are problems with ensuring the rule of law, that local authorities can resolve issues in their own favor or in someone else’s favor, as well as an incorrect attitude to private property.

“Various managers often come to us in Turkey to improve their professional skills. Once the first deputy khokim of a region came to us with whom we met every day. At one of the meetings, he stood up and told entrepreneurs: if you come to our region and show me the place that you like, I will demolish any building that is there, be it a park or garden and give it at your disposal. In Uzbekistan, such an act would be perceived as courage. After that, entrepreneurs gazed at me, as if to say: “You told us everything differently”. I told him in a whisper: “My dear, people here have a different attitude to private property. If you demolish another building for him, then it is not a fact that you will not demolish his property for another person in 3-4 years. You at least say that you will pay compensation. But he didn’t understand me,” the ambassador of Uzbekistan to Turkey said.

He cited another example when an investor changed his mind about working in Uzbekistan after the words of another official.

“Recently there was a khokim. Together with him we met with the head of a very large company. I persuaded him to invest in Uzbekistan for two months, saying: “Uzbekistan has excellent opportunities, it will become your home, we must open this company in Uzbekistan”. At the meeting, the khokim stood up and said: “I give you my word that no single prosecutor or judge will molest you. I will be your guarantor”. The company head looked at me and said: “Until today, I have been enthusiastic about doing business in Uzbekistan, now I will not go there”. When asked why, he replied: “I will not work there, where one person decides all issues”. The khokim asked him what he had to say. The entrepreneur replied: “If you have told me that you have the rule of law and therefore I can work calmly, then I would have packed my suitcase and flown to you tomorrow. If everything depends on you, what will happen if your attitude changes tomorrow?” Azamkhujayev recalled. 

According to him, the right attitude towards private property and its owners has not yet been formed in Uzbekistan, the country is only gradually moving towards this.