This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure on bank profitability and market value in Uzbekistan an underexplored emerging economy in Central Asia undergoing rapid financial and sustainability reforms. Using a panel dataset of 22 commercial banks from 2015 to 2024, we construct a hand-collected ESG disclosure index through systematic content analysis of annual and sustainability reports, supplemented by financial data from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. Net profit margin serves as the primary measure of profitability, while Tobin’s Q and market capitalization proxy for market value. Employing fixed effects, random effects, and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimators to address endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity, we find that higher ESG disclosure is significantly associated with improved bank profitability. Notably, this relationship is driven almost exclusively by the governance (G) pillar, while environmental (E) and social (S) disclosures show no statistically significant effects highlighting the context-specific materiality of ESG dimensions in transitional economies. Robustness checks, including lagged specifications, sub-sample analyses by ownership type, and alternative ESG measures, confirm the reliability of our findings. The results suggest that in Uzbekistan’s institutional environment characterized by ongoing corporate governance reforms and nascent green finance infrastructure transparency in board oversight, risk management, and anti-corruption mechanisms enhances operational efficiency and stakeholder trust, thereby boosting net margins. Our study contributes to the limited literature on ESG-finance linkages in Central Asia and challenges universalist assumptions about ESG materiality by demonstrating that governance remains the most financially relevant pillar in early-stage reform contexts. The findings carry important implications for regulators, bank managers, and international investors: prioritizing credible governance disclosure offers a strategic pathway to both financial performance and market legitimacy. As Uzbekistan advances its National Strategy for Green Economy Development, this research provides empirical grounding for sequenced, institutionally attuned ESG integration in the banking sector.

This article analyzes the formation of the banking system of the Republic of Uzbekistan, its evolutionary development stages, and prospects in the context of modern economic reforms. The study provides a detailed overview of the transformation of the banking system during the years of independence, particularly the fundamental reforms carried out in the period after 2017, the privatization of banks, and digital transformation. Macroeconomic factors ensuring the stability of the banking system, capital adequacy, and asset quality are analyzed based on statistical data. The article also discusses issues of liberalization of the banking services market, cooperation with international financial institutions, and the introduction of modern fintech technologies into the sector. As a resul, of the study, scientific and practical proposals and recommendations for the further development of the banking system of Uzbekistan have been developed, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the industry.

This paper discusses the mechanism of transmission of the monetary policy in Uzbekistan in the framework of the inflation targeting (IT) which is officially followed by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan since 2021 (CBU). The analysis indicates that the main refinancing rate is transmitted into the financial system to impact output and prices using methods of Vector Autoregression (VAR) and Structural VAR (SVAR) on quarterly data covering 2010-2023. The results show that interest rate channel is the most effective transmission channel, exchange rate channel comes next and credit channel is limited by structural weakness in the banking sector. The monetary policy shocks explain about 18-22 percent of inflation variance at a 12-month horizon. Some of the major obstacles are dollarization, strong state-owned banking industry, ineffective financial intermediation and low financial literacy. Some of the policy prescriptions include complementary fiscal moderation, faster financial sector reform, and better communication by the central bank.

This article analyzes the conventional and unconventional monetary policy instruments employed by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan during 2020–2025. The research covers the key interest rate, required reserve ratios, bond issuance, deposit auctions, interest rate corridor, and balance sheet expansion policy. Based on statistical-empirical analysis, the effectiveness of the Central Bank's monetary policy instruments in curbing inflation, stabilizing the national currency, and managing banking system liquidity is evaluated.

In this article, the main directions of the development of FinTech strategies in commercial banks are presented on the example of banks operating in Uzbekistan. Among the main areas of FinTech strategies are digital payment systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis, blockchain, banking mobile applications, digital banks and FinTech startups. Also, the changes in banks as a result of their application were analyzed based on the data of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In this, information about plastic cards in circulation in banks, payment terminals installed by banks, ATMs, infokiosks, bank applications, digital banks from 2001 to August 1, 2024 was presented and analyzed graphically.

This article explores the issues of evaluating their regulation through various
normatives controlling commercial banks through central banks. At the same time, various
methods of assessing bank ratings through indicators of economic normatives of the management
of banks in different foreign countries or the bodies controlling them have been analyzed

This article presents scientific and practical proposals for ensuring the liquidity of commercial banks in the context of modern globalization, increasing their role in the socio-economic development of the country and ensuring the continuity of payments in the national economy.

The article describes the concept of "bank control", its essence, economic importance, international bank control, world experience, the banking system and control procedures in our republic have improved over the years. Conclusions are presented at the end of the article.

This research investigates the function of corporate governance in enhancing the application of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) within Uzbekistan’s commercial banking industry. This research employs secondary data from sustainability reports, annual disclosures, and publications by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and international financial institutions to critically examine the impact of governance structures-such as board independence, gender diversity, and oversight committees-on ESG integration and financial stability. The results show that more and more Uzbek banks are reporting on ESG issues. In 2019, just two banks did this, but by 2024, eight banks will be doing it. Banks with boards that are more independent and diverse show far better ESG performance and financial strength, which is shown by greater returns on assets and fewer loans that are not performing. The paper also points out ongoing problems, such as a lack of ESG knowledge, no standardised reporting standards, and uneven policy implementation. The study finds that corporate governance is both a base and a force behind sustainable finance. To bring Uzbekistan's banking practices in line with global sustainability standards, it calls for a national ESG disclosure standard, more accountability at the board level, and stronger institutional capacity building.

By Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan PQ-4400 dated July 23, 2019 ”On measures to increase the popularity of microfinance services“, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan was entrusted with the task of developing a “national strategy for increasing financial popularity”, which provides for expanding the popularity of financial services and increasing the level of financial literacy of business entities, consumer protection in the provision of financial services. The Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan has developed a national strategy to increase the popularity of financial services for 2021-2023. In this strategy, special emphasis is placed on the issues of entrepreneurship development in the country, income growth, and improving financial literacy of the population as an important tool for poverty reduction. It follows from this that in this monographic study, the issues of improving financial literacy of the population have been scientifically and methodically analyzed and practical suggestions and recommendations have been developed.

Direct or indirect regulation of the banking services market serves to prevent and minimize negative situations that may occur. Regulation and control of the market of banking services by the Central Bank will not only develop inter-bank competition in the country, but also create a basis for increasing the quantity and quality of banking services. From this point of view, the research and improvement of regulatory practices of the banking services market in the Republic of Uzbekistan is a factor of sustainable development of the banking system. In this article, the issues of regulation of the market of banking services in the Republic of Uzbekistan are studied and relevant recommendations are developed.

Commercial banks generate resources through passive operations. These resources are primarily created from attracted funds. In our country, commercial banks form the basis of their passive operations' structure through liabilities (loans). However, for accumulating resources, banks find it more convenient to do so through deposits. In this article, we will examine in detail the problems that exist in the process of forming commercial banks' resources through deposits and explore ways to address them.

This article examines the unique aspects of the experience of some countries in creating a legal framework for Islamic banks, which have gained their place in the global financial market and have shown stable growth rates. Scholarly commentary is presented on the experiences of neighboring countries such as Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, whose systems of government are similar to those of Uzbekistan and which want a democratic system. Some points are highlighted that should be paid attention to by a country that has begun to create a legal framework for Islamic banking. A study was conducted of the impact of legislative changes in leading countries.

Accurate exchange rate forecasting is of considerable practical importance for emerging and frontier markets. In such markets, exchange rates tend to exhibit high volatility and may fluctuate significantly due to depreciation pressures, external economic shocks, inflation differentials, and uncertainty in financial markets. This study employs the ARIMA–eGARCH–Monte Carlo modeling framework to forecast the USD/UZS exchange rate. The analysis is based on daily exchange rate data covering the period from January 2018 to April 2026. First, logarithmic exchange rate returns were calculated, and their stationarity was examined using the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF), Phillips–Perron (PP), and KPSS tests. Subsequently, the ARIMA model was employed to capture the conditional mean dynamics of exchange rate returns, while sGARCH, eGARCH, and gjrGARCH models were compared to evaluate volatility clustering and asymmetric shock effects. The empirical results identified the eGARCH(1,1) specification as the best-performing model. In the next stage, 50,000 Monte Carlo simulations were conducted based on the selected model to generate exchange rate forecasts for a 252-trading-day horizon. The simulation results provided probability-based scenarios for the future path of the USD/UZS exchange rate over the following year. The baseline median forecast indicated an exchange rate of UZS 12,518 per US dollar, while the 90% prediction interval ranged from UZS 11,621 to UZS 13,218. The findings suggest that depreciation shocks have a significant impact on the dynamics of the USD/UZS exchange rate and that probability-based forecasting provides a more informative assessment of future exchange rate movements than conventional point forecasts. The proposed approach offers practical implications for the Central Bank, commercial banks, export-import enterprises, and risk managers in assessing foreign exchange risk and conducting stress testing.

Currently one of the pressing issues today is the improvement of export-import operations and settlements based on international standards. A number of decisions, resolutions, and instructions of the Central Bank adopted in our country in recent years define the tasks of bringing settlements with export-import operators to a new level. The article outlines the essence of the content of accounting for export-import transactions and the features of the organization of accounting, as well as conclusions and proposals for improving their accounting.

The article is aimed at increasing the efficiency and strengthening the financial stability of commercial banks of Uzbekistan, analyzing the main factors influencing the return on assets (ROA) indicator. Based on data from the Central Bank, the growth of the loan portfolio and the increase in the share of loans from individuals were analyzed. The article substantiates the need for strict management of credit risks, optimization of interest margins, optimization of operating expenses through digital technologies, and strategic diversification of assets through securities as the main drivers of increasing operational efficiency.

The article examines how WTO accession influenced the development of project management systems in Central Asian countries. Its relevance lies in the need to align trade-related reforms with project environment modernization amid Uzbekistan’s accession process. The methodology combines qualitative comparative analysis, case study, and content analysis of OECD, WTO, IMF, and World Bank materials. The findings show that in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan WTO membership stimulated customs digitalization, single-window mechanisms, e-procurement, and greater regulatory transparency. The scientific and practical contribution of the study lies in developing recommendations for Uzbekistan on linking WTO-related reforms with project management modernization, digital monitoring, compliance procedures, and integrated project implementation control.

In the article, an innovative study was conducted in foreign countries, using advanced econometric models of the analysis of the influence of digital parameters on macroeconomic indicators. The influence of numerical parameters on the GDP per capita of foreign countries was analyzed and 21-year indicators of the data of the World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) were used. Since the research data are based on multivariate time series, econometric equations were developed using autoregressive distributed lag ARDL (Autoregressive distributed lag) model. The results of the study showed that digital parameters in these regions showed a significant impact, showing a direct positive correlation with macroeconomic indicators.

In the economy, the majority of monetary funds circulate through cashless payments. Promoting the use of cashless payments and increasing their share in the total volume of payment transactions are among the key factors in ensuring sustainable economic growth and development. In addition to convenience, cashless payments offer a range of significant advantages.