Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired an extended meeting dedicated to assessing the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures and setting priorities for the future.

At the beginning of his address, the head of state emphasized that as reforms enter a decisive phase, it is crucial to objectively evaluate the ongoing efforts to create a corruption-free environment in the country and clearly define the tasks ahead.

“The biggest obstacle to reforms is corruption. This is fully confirmed by global experience.

Corruption causes an annual loss of US$3 trillion to the world economy, underscoring that it poses a global threat.

It is a malignant phenomenon that undermines public trust in the state, the Constitution, and the law, turning into a serious threat to stable development and security,” the President noted.

Uzbekistan has established a clear system for preventing and combating corruption, with the adoption of specific laws.

Specialized committees have been formed within both chambers of Parliament, and the National Council and Anti-Corruption Agency have been established.

It was particularly noted that an open system and environment have been created in society, enabling public discussion of corruption-related issues, while the role and influence of the media in this area continue to grow.

Previously, this topic was entirely closed to journalists. Today, the situation has completely changed in favor of openness and transparency.

Uzbekistan’s position in international transparency rankings has improved by 138 places, reaching 30th in the world and securing the top spot in Central Asia.

“I repeat time and again: we will always firmly adhere to the policy of openness and the implementation of freedom of speech in practice!” the head of state declared.

The President provided several examples of the work done in this direction.

To root out corruption, special attention is being paid to reducing human involvement and bureaucratic procedures.

For example, previously, in the process of land allocation, citizens were forced to appeal to the khokim (regional governor) and dozens of different institutions, creating significant difficulties for them. As a result, this sector became a hotbed of corruption.

By completely abandoning the system of land distribution based on khokim decisions and transitioning to an auction-based mechanism, the process has become more transparent and fair.

The construction sector was considered one of the most corruption-prone industries. However, after the introduction of the “Transparent Construction” program, positive changes have also been observed in this area.

Previously, the number of contractors involved in building projects under the investment program did not exceed 1,000. Last year, more than 4,000 contractors participated in the construction of 13,500 facilities. Thanks to the digitalization of the industry, over the past four years, 3.6 trillion soums in budget funds have been saved.

However, due to increasing bureaucracy and legal violations in issuing construction permits and certifying facilities—particularly in fire safety regulations—the Minister of Emergency Situations and his deputies were dismissed last week.

A law on public procurement has been adopted, and the introduction of digital tender and bidding procedures has ensured fair competition, resulting in 14 trillion soums in budget savings last year.

Previously, citizens had to overcome numerous obstacles to obtain loans. Today, all banks issue consumer loans of up to 100 million soums online, without human involvement, in just five minutes.

As a result, thousands of bankers who previously handled this process are now working directly in local communities, offering projects and loans while expanding their client base.

In the past, parents faced significant challenges in enrolling their children in schools and kindergartens, often having to resort to unofficial means. However, in recent years, more than 10 types of services in the preschool and school education system have been fully digitized, leading to a 2.5-fold reduction in applications in this sector.

Seven to eight years ago, university admissions were often influenced by personal connections and favoritism. Today, the process has been fully digitized, with exams broadcast online. A new system has been introduced, where applicants first take a test and then select a university based on their scores.

Additionally, in higher education, 35 types of documents can now be obtained without human involvement, reducing the number of applications in this field by 2.2 times.

Corruption in road safety has significantly decreased due to reforms such as equipping traffic inspectors with body cameras, selling vehicle license plates through auctions, and eliminating the use of handheld speed radar devices and paper-based protocols.

A system has been implemented to provide services to citizens and entrepreneurs under the principle of "the state at the service of the people." Specifically, requirements for 120 types of documents have been abolished, along with over 160 licenses and permits.

As a result, approximately 200,000 new entrepreneurs have entered the market, the number of enterprises with foreign capital has increased nearly fivefold, reaching almost 23,000, and the number of electronic government services has grown 15 times, now totaling 721. The number of users of these services has exceeded 11 million.

"For 25 years, these concepts were foreign to us. We preferred to ignore them. But none of these changes happened on their own. We achieved all of this through hard work.

Most importantly, these steps have strengthened the trust of our citizens, entrepreneurs, foreign partners, international organizations, and investors in the ongoing reforms.

Is it not clear proof of this that over the past seven years, more than US$120 billion in investments have been attracted to our country, and the economy has doubled in size, reaching US$115 billion last year?" the President stated.

"We all understand that the fight against corruption does not have a fixed timeframe. It is impossible to achieve the desired results through government efforts alone. This is a task for our entire society," the President emphasized.

At the same time, one of the most serious shortcomings noted was the lack of dedication among personnel and the absence of unity in combating corruption.

The importance of valuing peace and stability in the country, recognizing the difference between yesterday and today, avoiding excessive spending on weddings and other events, and leading a life of honesty and gratitude was underscored.

The head of state outlined key tasks facing the country in this direction.

It was noted that law enforcement agencies primarily focus on identifying and punishing corrupt officials while neglecting preventive measures aimed at eliminating corruption risks.

Currently, 1,285 employees work in internal anti-corruption departments across 117 ministries and agencies. However, their role and responsibility in addressing corruption factors remain insignificant.

Every year, dozens of decrees are adopted to improve the business environment, attract investment, create new jobs, and eliminate bureaucratic barriers and obstacles.

For instance, entrepreneurs are required to assess compliance when manufacturing and importing 6,500 product types. Moreover, for 3,700 of these goods, a separate certificate is needed for each batch. Similar lists exist in sanitary, quarantine, and veterinary agencies, and customs authorities work with all these registers.

Compliance officers in these agencies have not proposed any measures to reduce these lists, which create difficulties for entrepreneurs and contribute to corruption.

The President expressed complete dissatisfaction with the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency. Instead of conducting field visits to ministries and regions, analyzing specific sectors, and proposing solutions to problems, the agency’s employees have reduced themselves to mere statisticians, merely counting the number of criminal cases initiated.

It was emphasized that the agency’s leadership has not studied the situation in areas with the highest levels of corruption, such as healthcare, employment, or bank branches, nor has it proposed modern solutions. Additionally, the passivity of the leaders of these sectors in eliminating corruption within their structures was criticized.

Following the President’s directive to strengthen control over investment programs, savings of 3 trillion soums were achieved last year alone. In the healthcare sector, the launch of the "Situation Center" in 2024 helped prevent misallocation of 1.2 trillion soums.

"But why do these measures only start being implemented after a presidential order?" the head of state questioned.

During parliamentary budget committee meetings, the lack of initiative in identifying and eliminating corruption factors in the three ministries receiving the largest budget allocations was noted.

The Prime Minister was instructed to dismiss the heads of "internal anti-corruption control" units in 117 ministries and agencies and replace them with honest, dedicated, and professional personnel, assigning them specific tasks.

It was established that regional compliance officers in ministries should be appointed directly by the minister, who will assume political responsibility and be personally accountable for corruption within their system.

The agency’s working methods will be completely overhauled. As an experiment, compliance control in five institutions—the Ministries of Health, Construction, and Water Resources, as well as the companies Uzbekneftegaz and Uzsuvtaminot—will be transferred to the agency.

At the end of the year, a report will be presented to the National Council detailing which corruption factors have been eliminated in these ministries and what conveniences have been introduced for citizens.

Additionally, the agency, together with ministers and regional governors, will conduct quarterly visits to districts to examine corruption-related household and systemic issues in at least three high-risk sectors. Based on the findings, concrete measures will be developed to digitize processes and eliminate bureaucratic procedures.

Within two months, a "roadmap" will be prepared based on recommendations from international rating organizations, outlining specific steps for each ministry and agency. Proposals will also be made for penalizing officials who have failed to take action.

It was noted that 75% of corruption-related crimes occur at the district and neighborhood levels in the form of petty corruption. Corrupt practices are particularly prevalent in areas such as infrastructure connections, obtaining licenses, securing preferential loans, employment, and professional advancement.

Problems have been identified in the work of investigators, prosecutors, and judges: their interaction with authorities is limited to formal reports and private rulings, which remain purely bureaucratic and do not lead to real change.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of regional anti-corruption councils, led by provincial governors, remains low. Due to a lack of coordination with district and neighborhood structures, their efforts have yielded no tangible results. It was emphasized that the role of relevant parliamentary committees in addressing these issues remains largely invisible.

It has been proposed to completely renew the composition of regional anti-corruption councils and appoint the heads of regional councils of people’s deputies as their chairpersons. These regional councils are expected to work directly with the population, identify corruption-related factors, and determine which legislative changes are necessary to eliminate them.

Each quarter, regional councils must submit proposals to the National Council on eliminating corruption factors in specific sectors, ensuring the rule of law, and guaranteeing the inevitability of punishment. Ministers and regional governors have been tasked with establishing a system this year that will allow for the assessment of interactions between government bodies and the population at the district level across all types of services. The quality of these services will be evaluated by the citizens themselves, and based on the analysis, conclusions will be drawn regarding the heads of agencies deemed to be performing the worst.

The need to implement a system enabling citizens to receive online responses to inquiries related to water, gas, and electricity connections, as well as applications for subsidies, pensions, and financial assistance, without the need to visit various offices, was also emphasized. Relevant institutions have been instructed to launch an online platform based on artificial intelligence, capable of providing citizens with simple and prompt responses to their requests via mobile phones.

At the same time, concerns were raised about instances of corruption among employees in 14 inspection bodies responsible for oversight and regulation in various sectors, despite their extensive authority and significant resources. The Cabinet of Ministers has been directed to assess the performance of the heads of these inspection bodies within two weeks, identifying those who deliberately or negligently ignore corruption within their systems, and to develop concrete measures to eliminate corruption factors. Each month, the activities of one of these inspection bodies will undergo a critical review, and its leadership will be held to strict accountability.

Eight years ago, a sector-based system was introduced to promote the comprehensive development of regions, allowing resources to be mobilized to address accumulated socio-economic issues. However, despite the significant increase in regional capacity in recent years, it was noted that some prosecutors, as well as heads of internal affairs and tax authorities, have begun using the sectoral system as an excuse to weaken oversight in their respective fields.

Each mahalla has been assigned a crime prevention inspector, yet there is no evidence of effective implementation of the new system within district internal affairs departments, nor is the work of these inspectors being properly assessed. Additionally, it was pointed out that some heads of internal affairs departments and divisions fail to engage in systematic efforts to address issues in problematic mahallas, raising concerns about their professionalism and dedication to service.

The establishment of an automated system for registering crime reports submitted via the "102" hotline, which records every complaint with a digital footprint, has already yielded positive results.

However, it was noted that in several district and city internal affairs departments, officials have been concealing crimes and deliberately delaying their registration for months to improve statistical indicators. The new Minister of Internal Affairs has been instructed to equip all crime prevention points in mahallas with surveillance cameras, provide each inspector with a body camera, and introduce a new platform for recording offenses. A comprehensive task has been set to fully digitize the crime registration system.

It was also pointed out that prosecutors have weakened their oversight of investigations. Specifically, courts have returned 637 criminal cases for revision due to identified shortcomings. The General Prosecutor’s Office has been directed to enhance its efforts to improve the quality of investigations and crime prevention. It was emphasized that both the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs must reconsider their approach, work in a new manner, and ensure mutual oversight.

Despite tax officials being assigned to every mahalla, tax revenues have not shown significant growth. For instance, reports from thousands of enterprises indicate that they have no employees, while thousands of other companies claim to have only one or two workers. This suggests that tax authorities have been ineffective in combating the shadow economy.

According to the established procedure, honest entrepreneurs should receive value-added tax (VAT) refunds within seven days. However, tax authorities have failed to process approximately 2,500 requests from entrepreneurs on time, amounting to a total of 487 billion soums.

"From now on, prosecutors, internal affairs bodies, and tax authorities will no longer be involved in sectoral activities," the President stated. Instead, deputy prime ministers will independently oversee the relevant areas using their own resources and systems.

Reforms in poverty reduction, social protection, and entrepreneurship are aimed at delivering tangible benefits to every citizen. A similar approach will now be applied to crime prevention and anti-corruption efforts at the district and mahalla levels.

"Why am I talking about this? Because the lower the crime rate and the higher the level of security, the more investors will invest in the country, and public trust will increase," the President emphasized.

It was highlighted that weekly crime prevention campaigns must be conducted systematically. Moreover, it was noted that if relevant parliamentary committees engage at the mahalla level, analyze the causes and factors behind each crime, and assign clear tasks to district and regional prosecutors as well as the heads of internal affairs departments, this will become an effective practice.

The General Prosecutor and the Minister of Internal Affairs have been instructed to report to the National Council on a quarterly basis, while district and regional prosecutors, along with the heads of internal affairs departments, must present monthly reports at regional council meetings and engage with the public.

"By engagement, I do not mean general statements. It is essential to clearly outline specific measures for crime prevention in each sector and address their root causes," the President emphasized.

It was also noted that the National Council should hold its meetings directly in the internal affairs departments, going down to the district and city levels on a monthly basis.

“The prosecutors, heads of internal affairs bodies, and tax authorities must understand: their release from sectoral work does not mean a return to the past, when the population and entrepreneurs faced obstacles and conditions for corruption were created,” the head of state stated.

It was emphasized that responsibility for crime prevention in the districts is assigned to the hokims, who must coordinate all processes, and their role in this regard remains unchanged. They are required to discuss the situation in their regions weekly with prosecutors and heads of internal affairs.

Previously, the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, as well as the Universities of Justice and Public Safety, were assigned specific regions and areas of activity to prevent crime. However, dissatisfaction was expressed over the fact that these institutions do not send their specialists to high-crime areas and fail to take initiative in transforming such mahallas into model communities.

It was stressed that the National Council must request quarterly reports from the heads of these universities.

Overall, confidence was expressed that if the Senate presents concrete proposals for a sharp reduction in crime in one of the regions, and the Legislative Chamber focuses on eradicating corruption in a specific sector, the effectiveness of efforts in these areas will increase significantly.

Additionally, a proposal was made to introduce a system under which ministers and hokims, before being appointed to their positions, must defend their specific anti-corruption plans before parliament and local councils.

It was noted that conflicts of interest and inflated prices in procurement processes primarily occur in public procurement.

In general, there are over 50 types of goods and services that can be purchased directly. However, no official has proposed removing them from procurement lists to allow open selection, which would lead to lower prices.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance, along with the Accounts Chamber and parliamentary budget committees, has been tasked with reducing the volume of direct procurement by half. By the end of the year, an AI-powered electronic system should be implemented to detect and prevent legal violations in public procurement.

Furthermore, an Expert Commission will be established to develop an electronic platform for government procurement based on best international practices. This platform will display average market prices for goods, with information being regularly updated.

At the same time, the cost of goods and services purchased through public procurement should not exceed the average market price by more than 20%. Violations of this requirement will be subject to liability and fines.

It was emphasized that the time has come to regulate procurement funded by extra-budgetary resources. It was also decided to tighten requirements for the acquisition of fixed assets using both budgetary and extra-budgetary funds.

A sharp reduction in the use of official vehicles was proposed, along with a transition to domestically produced cars and furniture.

It was stated that major projects should be assessed in accordance with high anti-corruption standards.

Relevant officials were tasked with introducing international anti-corruption standards in investment projects and conducting expert reviews of major tenders to assess their competitiveness.

Additionally, the coverage of the “Transparent Construction” platform will be expanded, with a phased implementation into projects run by international organizations.

This initiative will start with subcontracting agreements and projects worth up to US$1 million that are carried out with the participation of international financial institutions.

"Preventing corruption begins with selecting professional and dedicated personnel for public service and ‘inoculating’ them with integrity," the President stated.

It was noted that the Agency for Civil Service Development and the Academy of Public Administration are failing to demonstrate leadership in training, educating, and appointing personnel.

A decision was made to abandon the outdated "objective report" system for evaluating personnel and transition to modern IT technologies that analyze employees’ qualifications, potential, and achievements.

When appointing individuals to positions, the key criterion will not be their place of study or previous job but rather their knowledge, experience, and demonstrated accomplishments. At the same time, both the strengths and weaknesses of candidates must be objectively considered.

From now on, leadership positions will be filled by young professionals who have worked at the mahalla level, have seen people’s problems firsthand, and have helped solve them.

A directive was issued to draft a presidential decree on ensuring a transparent and open recruitment process, creating a civil service registry, and assessing officials’ susceptibility to corruption.

It was also noted that the time has come to adopt a law on the declaration of income by public officials. It was emphasized that public opinion on this matter is of great importance. The responsible authorities have been instructed to submit the draft law for public discussion as soon as possible and present it by 1 April. Additionally, it was proposed to consider the issue of liability for illicit enrichment.

The President suggested introducing a provision on illicit enrichment into the legislation, according to which a public official would be required to prove the origin of assets that do not correspond to their declared income. The head of state called on the National Council and parliamentary committees on combating corruption to develop relevant proposals in line with international standards.

In the era of modern technology, new digital forms of corruption are emerging. In this regard, starting from the new academic year, academies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and law enforcement agencies will begin training specialists in this field. However, it was noted that having modern personnel alone is not sufficient to detect and prevent such crimes. The necessity of studying international experience and establishing a solid legal framework for effectively combating cyber corruption was emphasized.

It was also pointed out that it is necessary to analyze the factors contributing to both official and everyday corruption, develop scientifically based proposals for their prevention, and implement them in practice. The head of state stressed that in the judicial system, issues of preventing corruption risks, as well as improving the quality and efficiency of justice, must remain a priority.

In recent years, large-scale reforms have been carried out to ensure judicial independence. However, instances of summoning judges to meetings and assigning them duties beyond their jurisdiction continue to be recorded. Moreover, it was noted that some government agencies continue to exert pressure on the judiciary.

"I am issuing a strict warning to all leaders: any interference in the activities of the courts will be regarded as an encroachment on justice. Requests and accountability for such actions will be serious," the President stated.

The role of lawyers in ensuring fair justice is of key importance. In this regard, the necessity of creating conditions for citizens to receive timely legal assistance was highlighted. A directive was issued to submit a draft law within three months aimed at eliminating factors that hinder the provision of quality legal assistance by lawyers. Attention was also drawn to the lack of a clear list of corruption-related crimes in the legislation.

It was emphasized that the law approved by parliament is primarily focused on strengthening punishments, while failing to address such crucial aspects as corruption prevention, fostering a culture of zero tolerance for corruption among citizens, developing preventive mechanisms, and encouraging those who assist in exposing crimes.

In this regard, the President announced that he would return the law for revision. Additionally, the need to align liability for crimes related to the legalization of illicit income with international standards was highlighted.

For instance, in the legal systems of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Russia, and Azerbaijan, the transfer of insider information about the parameters of public procurement and large business projects for financial gain is considered a form of money laundering.

The success of our reforms depends primarily on a new generation that is dedicated, selfless, and intolerant of corruption. The top priority in this matter must be raising honest and morally upright young people, the President stated.

In this context, it was emphasized that school principals should use clear and accessible language to explain to students, as part of the "Upbringing" subject, the noble values of honesty and the inadmissibility of violating others’ rights. University rectors, in turn, must establish a system to support student-led anti-corruption projects, startups, and innovative initiatives.

Overall, it was noted that creating a system based on the idea that "Corruption is a threat to the future" and ensuring that this message resonates with the youth of New Uzbekistan is an urgent task.

The President addressed representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations.

"Fighting corruption is a nationwide task and a matter of conscience for every patriot. No one should remain on the sidelines in this process. Therefore, we must create even more conditions for fostering intolerance toward corruption and engage the wider public in this effort. First and foremost, the activities of non-governmental organizations should be intensified. This is the most effective approach," the head of state emphasized.

It was suggested that parliament should establish close cooperation with NGOs and fully utilize their potential. Specifically, involving non-governmental organizations in monitoring the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Convention’s requirements would yield significant benefits.

To support new initiatives aimed at these goals, an annual allocation of 10 billion soums will be provided.

"In order to defeat corruption, we must first eradicate its roots, which are linked to excessive luxury and ostentation. The most troubling aspect is that well-known figures are at the forefront of this phenomenon. People, seeking to imitate them, will do anything for financial gain. Unfortunately, instead of setting an example of a modest lifestyle, some leaders themselves become captives of false values and strive for illicit enrichment," the President noted.

In this regard, the head of state called on both chambers of parliament, local councils, community representatives, mahalla chairpersons, and elders to take the lead in raising awareness of this issue among the population.

"If we fight corruption as a united front, we will certainly achieve great positive results. That is why mahalla activists, elders, intellectuals, writers and poets, cultural figures, entrepreneurs, public figures, officials, deputies, and senators—society as a whole—must unite and view corruption as the ‘cancer’ of society.

All the tasks we have outlined today are aimed at achieving exactly this outcome. I believe that you deeply understand this truth and responsibility, and that you will demonstrate special enthusiasm in implementing these measures, setting an example for all," said President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in conclusion.

During the meeting, opinions and proposals were heard from members of parliament, representatives from various sectors and regions, as well as reports from responsible officials.