In other words, if an individual purchases a small business, he can also buy the plot of land on which it stands. Agriculture is in the infant stages of privatization. Under the plan, collective farms are being reorganized into cooperatives through leasing the land to former collective farm workers, either on an individual or a group basis. Each family unit receives a private plot, the produce from which it may sell at local markets. State farms are being converted to collective farms.
Several laws address property and leaseholding.
A presidential decree in March 1994 opened the way for limited private housing construction. In rural areas, many if not most homes have been privately built and, de facto, privately owned. However, property may not be sold or transferred, though leases can be inherited. Uzbekistan is not party to any international conventions protecting intellectual property rights, and such protection is non-existent. Women are not legally restricted from engaging in business, but face daunting cultural obstacles.