Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 23 July, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with an update on the activities of the Accounts Chamber and the measures being taken to improve the system for implementing government decisions.

According to the Presidential Decree of 10 July 2024, titled “On Additional Measures to Strengthen Financial Oversight of Budget Spending,” fundamental changes have been introduced to the work of the Accounts Chamber. The institution has abandoned outdated inspection methods and adopted modern audit approaches — notably, financial audits, compliance audits, performance audits, and strategic audits have been implemented, significantly expanding its authority.

Today, the Accounts Chamber not only performs oversight functions but also acts as a partner in ensuring budgetary discipline. The focus has shifted from merely detecting violations to preventing them and analyzing their root causes.

In the first half of this year, audit activities helped prevent inefficient use of public funds amounting to 5.6 trillion soums and identified an additional 5 trillion soums in revenue sources.

As Uzbekistan’s economy continues its steady growth, the scale and importance of financial control is also increasing. A key tool in this area is digitalization. The introduction of the “Remote Audit” information system, for instance, has helped eliminate violations totaling 4 trillion soums.

Looking ahead, the goal is to integrate artificial intelligence into the audit system to systematically eliminate the factors contributing to financial violations.

The presentation highlighted the positive performance of financial control situational centers established last year in 12 ministries. A decision was made to expand this system to 10 more ministries and agencies. Instructions were also given to improve internal control and audit mechanisms within budgetary organizations and to establish closer data-sharing ties with the Accounts Chamber.

In line with the President’s decree, state auditing is being gradually aligned with international standards. Over the past year, specialists from the Accounts Chamber have worked with international auditors to gain experience. As a result, projects financed through external loans are now audited in accordance with international criteria. Particular emphasis is being placed on conducting these audits from the earliest stages of project implementation.

During a video conference on June 16 dedicated to reviewing the progress of reforms, the President tasked the Accounts Chamber with ensuring the full implementation of the “People’s Oversight” platform across all regions of the country. The presentation showcased the initial outcomes and outlined the next steps for this initiative.

The platform is designed to facilitate direct feedback from citizens, enabling them to promptly report issues in areas such as construction, utilities, infrastructure, water supply, energy, transport, and road maintenance. All relevant ministries, agencies, and local authorities will be connected to the platform to ensure rapid response.

Ongoing work includes modernizing the platform using artificial intelligence technologies, introducing a vertically integrated monitoring system, and establishing dedicated call centers.

The President issued instructions to responsible officials to strengthen executive discipline, ensure targeted and efficient use of budget funds, and uphold personal accountability for results.