Uzbekistan Strengthens Public-Private Partnerships to Attract Private Investment
The Third Roundtable on Public-Private Partnerships, held at the Hyatt Regency in Tashkent, focused on attracting private capital through PPPs and discussed achievements and challenges in implementing projects in Uzbekistan.
Speaking on the first panel, Tatiana Proskuryakova, Senior Adviser at the World Bank Group, emphasised that the government of Uzbekistan is firmly in the driving seat of the PPP agenda. She highlighted that development partners, including the World Bank, provide support across all stages of the PPP lifecycle from analytic work and policy reform to technical assistance, capacity building and transaction structuring.
«PPPs are a tool, not an end in themselves,» Proskuryakova said. «The government is using this tool to achieve economic growth and prosperity for the population. Our role is to support them at all stages, helping sectors such as energy become attractive to investors while building the skills of public officials to manage these partnerships effectively.»
Andi Aranitasi, Director at EBRD, agreed on the importance of strong leadership.
«PPP programmes cannot succeed without a very strong political champion driving this agenda in a consistent and sustainable manner,» he said.
He also noted that sector strategies are critical.
«The energy strategy worked out with ADB and the World Bank gave a blueprint for the energy generation programme that has led to much success.»
Michael Opagi, Regional Manager of PPP Transaction Advisory Services at IFC, discussed the Scaling Solar programme as a key example of how PPPs have mobilised private investment. The initiative offered one-stop advisory services, financing and risk mitigation, which attracted significant investor interest. The programme’s success has enabled the government to manage similar projects independently, he said, marking a milestone in local capacity building.
Azim Hashimi of ADB highlighted expansion beyond energy.
«We are now working on district heating, health, schools and other sectors. Long-term contracts of 25–30 years require strong institutional capacity to make sure projects continue even when leadership changes,» he said.
Speakers agreed that Uzbekistan’s PPP programme succeeds because of strong government leadership, clear sector strategies, international support and a focus on building local capacity.
