BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17. Despite having become a key industry that plays an important role in economic development of Uzbekistan, the IT sector faces several major challenges, Chief Executive Officer of UZINFOCOM LLC, a unified integrator for the creation and support of state information systems, Emil Gimranov told Trend.
“One of the main challenges is the lack of qualified personnel. This may limit industry growth and innovation opportunities as Uzbekistan actively promotes studying abroad: the government provides scholarships and support for young professionals who want to get education and experience in foreign universities,” he said.
The CEO noted that over the past few years, the Government of Uzbekistan has been actively investing in development of educational programs and courses on the topic of information technology to help solve this issue.
“The next challenge is lack of financing. Many IT projects require big investments, and sometimes it can be difficult for startups and small businesses to get necessary funds,” Gimranov said.
He explained that to solve this problem, the Government of Uzbekistan gradually simplifies business registration procedures, reducing the number of required documents, as well as introduces electronic services allowing for interaction with government agencies online and helping young entrepreneurs save time.
Further speaking, Gimranov pointed that administrative procedures are an issue for a comprehensive development of IT in Uzbekistan.
“Registration and interaction with government agencies can sometimes be quite complicated and time-consuming, and this, in turn, can create certain difficulties for business. For that, Uzbek government increases the number of consultations and support for entrepreneurs. Such consultations make it easier to cope and adapt to the administrative side of the business,” he said.
Moreover, the CEO stressed that the regulatory framework in the field of IT and data security requires constant improvement and compliance to ensure the reliability and confidentiality of information.
“Uzbekistan is actively developing methods to strengthen personal data protection, e-commerce and cybersecurity. Training programs are conducted for IT and cybersecurity specialists to ensure that local personnel meet international standards. Uzbekistan is actively developing IT infrastructure to ensure cybersecurity, including the creation of national centers for monitoring and responding to cyber threats,” Gimranov said.
“Lastly, I think that uneven distribution of high-speed internet and modern IT infrastructure limiting access to IT services in some regions tremendously slows down the development of IT sector in the country,” he said.
Gimranov stressed that to address this issue, the government invests in development of telecommunications and IT infrastructure in underdeveloped regions.
“Development of IT infrastructure in underdeveloped regions includes the creation of high-speed Internet networks and modern data centers. Digital educational and innovation centers are also being created in different regions for training and development of projects in the field of information technology,” he said.
