Photo: daryo.uz
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered the dismissal of 117 heads of internal anti-corruption control departments across various ministries and agencies. The directive was issued during an expanded meeting of the National Anti-Corruption Council, according to presidential press secretary Sherzod Asadov.
Additionally, it was decided that regional officials overseeing compliance with regulatory requirements will now be directly hired by ministers, who will bear full responsibility for anti-corruption efforts within their respective institutions.
Mirziyoyev sharply criticized the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency, referring to its employees as “dry statisticians” who merely count the number of criminal cases. According to the president, agency leadership fails to visit district-level health, employment, and banking offices—areas where bribery is most prevalent. He also condemned the agency’s passivity, noting that it does not propose improvements or innovative methods for tackling corruption.
The president emphasized that after he ordered stricter oversight of investments last year, 3 trillion soums were saved. Meanwhile, the introduction of the «Situation Center» system in the healthcare sector prevented 1.2 trillion soums in unnecessary expenditures.
“But why do these efforts only begin after the president gives an order?” Mirziyoyev asked indignantly.
He also criticized the inactivity of parliamentary budget committees.
As part of reforms to the Anti-Corruption Agency, the president announced a pilot program placing several key ministries and state enterprises under its direct supervision, including:
✔️ The Ministry of Health
✔️ The Ministry of Construction
✔️ The Ministry of Water Resources
✔️ Uzbekneftegaz (state oil and gas company)
✔️ Uzsuvtaminot (state water supply company)
By the end of the year, the National Council will review a report on corruption cases within these institutions. The agency has been tasked with conducting regular regional assessments, focusing on bureaucracy and the digitalization of government services.
Mirziyoyev pointed out that 75% of corruption-related crimes occur at the local level, in districts and mahallas (community councils), involving infrastructure connections, licensing, and preferential loan approvals. He also criticized the negligence and sluggishness of investigators, judges, and local officials. To address this, he proposed a complete overhaul of regional anti-corruption councils, appointing city or district council leaders as their heads.
The president also noted that while 14 regulatory inspectorates are responsible for monitoring different industries, their staff have themselves been implicated in corruption. The government has been instructed to evaluate these inspectorates and submit a report within two weeks.
To further mitigate corruption risks, Mirziyoyev suggested developing an artificial intelligence-powered online platform capable of handling citizen inquiries about water and gas supply, electricity connections, subsidies, pensions, and financial aid.
