Hiring procedures for cafes and restaurants to be simplified

Starting June 1 this year, entrepreneurs operating in Uzbekistan’s cafes, restaurants and public catering sector will be allowed to officially hire employees for short-term work, including for one day or one week. This is outlined in President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s decree “On creating more favorable economic and administrative conditions for the growth of small business entities.”

Under the decree, employers in the public catering sector will be able to register certain categories of employees through a special mobile application of the labor authorities under a simplified procedure.

As part of the new mechanism, the process of hiring an employee and paying wages will be completed within the same day. This is expected to create additional convenience for cafes, restaurants, hotels and tourism businesses, where demand for daily or short-term labor is particularly high.

According to Jahongir Abdiyev, deputy chairman of the Tax Committee, the new procedure was developed to adapt existing labor relations to the real needs of the sector. He said that many enterprises operating in public catering and tourism hire workers for short periods, but the current procedures have created certain difficulties in this process.

The issue was also discussed during an open dialogue with entrepreneurs in the public catering and gastronomy sector on April 21 this year. Participants said that the existing labor legislation does not fully take into account the specific features of the sector.

Under the rules that have been in force until now, the procedures for hiring employees and terminating employment contracts have been almost the same for state organizations and private sector entities. The new procedure is expected to help legally regulate seasonal and short-term forms of employment that are widely used in the labor market.

Earlier, cafes, restaurants and hotels in Uzbekistan were allowed to sell alcohol and tobacco products for cash.