[{"bbox": [96, 154, 1134, 395], "category": "Text", "text": "population income in Uzbekistan based on the results of sample surveys of households equals 0.273 (Gini coefficient). The government also initiated a number of reforms on gender equality and women's empowerment, which have improved Uzbekistan's rankings in several international indexes in this domain. Currently, the country's Gender Development Index (GDI) value is 0.944, placing it in group 3 (medium equality), while its Gender Inequality Index (GII) value is 0.227, ranking it at 56 out of 170 countries in 2021. This data shows that Uzbekistan is close to attaining gender equality in education (enrolment, educational attainment and literacy) and health (sex ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy). However, gender inequalities in daily life are still persistent and need to be addressed accordingly."}, {"bbox": [96, 422, 1134, 724], "category": "Text", "text": "Uzbekistan's Social Protection system is inherited from the Soviet Union and comprises of the following pillars: social insurance, social assistance, labour market interventions and social care services. According to the household survey data in 2018 only half of the population is covered by the SP scheme, a third of the population is not covered by any SP service, while the totality of SP expenditure amounts to 6% of the country GDP. Moreover, Uzbekistan has neither a unified definition of SP nor a central institution that coordinates and manages the social-protection programmes that are currently in place. Management of these is scattered across several ministries including: the Ministry of Finance (funding of social programmes), Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (employability) and Ministry of Health (services for elderly and pensioners). That fragmentation has a direct impact on the potential to implement projects in the social-protection sphere and decreases the transparency of the SP system."}, {"bbox": [96, 751, 1134, 962], "category": "Text", "text": "This action is in line with the principles identified in the new European Consensus on Development³, the EU Strategy for Central Asia⁴, the EU Green Deal⁵ and with the priorities set in the EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, concluded in July 2022. The action also closely reflects the targets included in SDG 16 of the Global Agenda 2030 on Peace, justice and strong institutions, promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Domestically, the action fits into the goals set out by President Mirziyoev in the Development Strategy for a New Uzbekistan for the period 2022-2026."}, {"bbox": [85, 993, 341, 1023], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [96, 1052, 1133, 1107], "category": "Text", "text": "As a result of the reforms carried out in recent years in the system of public services, a modern infrastructure has been created to provide convenient and efficient public services to the population and business entities."}, {"bbox": [96, 1120, 1134, 1259], "category": "Text", "text": "In 2019 the President of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution⁶ for further enhancement of the national public service delivery system, with the aim to increase gradually the number of public services, to integrate additionally services through the PSCs and to increase the number of users. According to this resolution, the Ministry of Justice was given also the mandate to monitor the quality of public services in PSCs, to scale-up the introduction of ICT, and to ensure the integration of various services and systems."}, {"bbox": [96, 1272, 1134, 1383], "category": "Text", "text": "On 20 April 2022, the National Strategy for the Modernisation and Accelerated Development of the Public Service Delivery System for 2022–2026 (PSD Strategy) was approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on additional measures to simplify the provision of public services, reduce bureaucratic barriers, and develop a national system for the provision of public services."}, {"bbox": [96, 1396, 1134, 1451], "category": "Text", "text": "The draft of the PSD Strategy was prepared as the result of extensive efforts undertaken by the current EU project on Improved Public Service Delivery and Enhanced Governance in Rural Uzbekistan implemented by the UNDP"}, {"bbox": [85, 1489, 1097, 1540], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ European Commission (2017): European Consensus on Development, available at: European Consensus on Development (europa.eu)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1540, 1130, 1567], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ European External Action Service (2019): EU Central Asia Strategy, available at: Central Asia | EEAS Website (europa.eu)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1567, 980, 1593], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ European Commission (2019): A European Green Deal, available at: A European Green Deal (europa.eu)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1593, 1111, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Presidential Resolution “On measures for further comprehensive enhancement of national public service delivery system” #PP-4193, dated 15 February 2019, http://lex.uz/docs/4203399"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1682, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 35"}]