UNDP is implementing a number of various projects in which use of Information and Communication Technologies and innovative approaches is considered to be an important prerequisite for country’s development. “Improving Tax Administration in Uzbekistan” is one of such projects. It is focused on introduction of the modern information technologies into the work of tax departments. In order to increase considerably the effectiveness and output of tax information collection and processing, it is important to equip tax bodies with up-to-date ICT.

Within the framework of the Project and in cooperation with Science & Information Centre for New Technologies under the State Tax Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan the software, which makes it possible to receive tax reports and financial statements from taxpayers in electronic format, has been developed. This software started being used since the second quarter of 2006.

Main advantages of submitting reports and statements electronically are primarily, reduced time for preparation and submitting the statements, improved efficiency of updating the forms of statements, minimized quantity of errors during preparation of statements, as well as decreased human factor when receiving and processing the statements.

The mentioned software is gradually being introduced in Tashkent and Andijan oblasts of Uzbekistan, as well as in the city of Tashkent. Currently more than 8 000 legal entities are piloting this software in Tashkent.

Mr. Rustam Mustafakulov, the Director of Science and Information Centre for New Technologies under STC said “…the number of taxpayers using the software is impressive. Currently in the capital 7538 entrepreneur entities have their electronic digital signature and more than 20 641 reports are submitted in the Internet.”

At the moment the possibility of creating the integral taxpayers database is being considered. This database is to collect information on financial and commercial activity, which is to be received both from the economic entities and from other sources. The data base is to integrate tax, customs and statistical monitoring as well as and similarly banking information related to meeting tax requirements by taxpayers. The new database will make it possible to introduce modern risk-analysis systems, to reduce the expenses and to improve the quality of tax control and administration.

Further wide use of information technologies in the work of tax administration bodies will result in decrease of business and public expenses, as well as in making the tax administration more transparent.