The Business Ombudsman demanded a review of Tashkent's "Design Code" decision.
Entrepreneurs in the public catering sector complained that the new design code was made "illiterately" and that during the forced dismantling of signs, they were threatened with cutting off electricity.
The Office of the Business Ombudsman studied the decision of the Tashkent City Council of People's Deputies dated February 17, 2026, regarding the "Design Code" from the perspective of its impact on entrepreneurial activity.
It was reported that certain clauses of this document were found to contradict the requirements of current legislation. In particular, according to the Law on Normative Legal Acts, draft documents affecting entrepreneurial activity must be mandatorily coordinated with the Business Ombudsman. However, it was noted that this decision was adopted without coordination with the Representative.
Furthermore, it was emphasized that the decision does not define clear legal criteria for concepts such as "low saturation" or "neutral" colors imposed on advertising media. According to experts, this could negatively impact the intellectual property rights of entrepreneurs, particularly the interests of registered brands.
Additionally, it was noted that the 3-month period set for adapting to the new requirements is insufficient, and mechanisms for the phased implementation of the process are not provided for. The interests of brands that have established networks with multiple facilities were not taken into account.
In this regard, the Business Ombudsman submitted an official conclusion to the Tashkent City Council, proposing a review of the parts of the decision affecting entrepreneurial activity, making appropriate amendments, and extending the effective date.
The Office of the Representative also proposed reworking this document, taking into account the interests of entrepreneurs, with the participation of its own staff.
Also, during an open dialogue held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, entrepreneurs in the public catering sector complained that Tashkent's new design code was done "in an illiterate manner," and that during the forced dismantling of signboards, they were threatened with cutting off electricity.
In particular, Kemal Kaya, founder of the Giotto network, sharply criticized the company that developed the design code, calling their work "illiteracy." As an example, he cited the situation with the branch on "O'zbekiston ovozi" street (S-1) on the eve of a presidential visit.
The entrepreneur stated that he had changed the restaurant's signboard several times at the request of the mayor's office. As a result, even the last version did not please the mayor's office employees themselves.
The restaurateur stated that the proportions for signboards specified in the document (letters not exceeding 50 cm) are incorrect, causing difficulties for establishments, especially international brands.
"You are disgracing the country in front of the whole of Europe. You cannot do such a project in a normal country, sorry. This method won't work. The Italians are laughing. Papa Johns has the same problem. Everyone has a problem. Why should there be a problem here? It's not the authorities who are to blame, but the people who developed the project. Because of their fault, it's difficult for everyone — the authorities, you, and the people. Do you want to turn Uzbekistan into North Korea?" he noted.
Rushana Hasanova, head of the department for the formation and support of development projects at "Tashkent Invest" company, which led the development of the design code, stated that officials are open to discussing the document.
According to information, the project developer is the Russian company CM International. It has been working on the project since 2024 under an order from the "Tashkent Invest" company under the mayor's office.
Let us remind you that after the decision of the Tashkent city mayor's office on "unifying signboards," entrepreneurs in several centers of Tashkent have been expressing dissatisfaction, as business entities have been required to make changes multiple times.
