Former residence registration system in Tashkent was shameful – Sodiq Safoyev

The residence registration (“propiska”) system that previously existed in Tashkent was shameful. This was stated by First Deputy Chair of the Senate Sodiq Safoyev in an interview with the O‘zbekiston 24 television channel.

Speaking on the “Yuzma-yuz” programme, Safoyev discussed the strategic transformations being implemented in New Uzbekistan and New Tashkent. A native of Tashkent himself, he spoke about the city’s grandeur, dignity, hospitality, and distinctive dialect, while noting that despite these qualities, urban development in Tashkent had stagnated for many years.

Safoyev recalled that priority had long been given to private vehicles rather than public transport. At one point, he said, Tashkent had effectively become a city designed for cars rather than for people. One of the main reasons for this, he noted, was the rigid residence registration regime. He stressed that many people had suffered greatly because of the “propiska” system.

“As a result of the head of state’s policy that prioritises human rights, the previous shameful ‘propiska’ system was abolished. What did that mean? Despite being citizens of this country, people were unable to live in Tashkent of their own free will. It was prohibited. They could not find employment, could not register, and were even deprived of the possibility of legal residence,” the senator said.

During the interview, Safoyev also highlighted the significant development of public transport in recent years.

“Today’s metro cannot be compared with the metro of ten years ago. It now serves millions of passengers every day. However, even this has not been sufficient to resolve a number of issues in Tashkent, such as heat supply and road infrastructure. That is why New Tashkent was created,” he added.

It is worth noting that for nearly 30 years, access to permanent residence registration in Tashkent was subject to strict restrictions. In April 2020, amendments to legislation were introduced by presidential decree, lifting these limitations.