Tashkent, March 8, 2025 – The Europe Today: On March 5, the President of Uzbekistan convened a pivotal meeting of the National Council on Combating Corruption, signaling a strengthened resolve to root out corruption and build a transparent governance system. The meeting provided an opportunity to evaluate ongoing anti-corruption measures and establish a clear roadmap for future actions.
Acknowledging corruption as a significant impediment to reform, the President underscored recent progress, emphasizing legislative reforms, institutional innovations, and greater civic participation in anti-corruption efforts. Among these advancements were the establishment of specialized parliamentary committees, the National Anti-Corruption Council, and the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Key strides have already been made, driven by systemic reforms that directly address the root causes of corruption. For instance, transitioning land allocation authority from local khokims (mayors) to transparent auction systems has markedly improved openness and fairness. Programs such as “Shaffof Kurilish” (Transparent Construction) further reinforce this shift.
Additionally, critical sectors have embraced digital transformation to minimize opportunities for corruption. The introduction of electronic platforms for public procurement alone resulted in savings of 14 trillion soums last year, reflecting greater efficiency and reduced misuse of public funds. Today, banking services offer rapid, fully digital loan processing, significantly decreasing human involvement—and thus potential corruption—in these transactions.
Education, a historically vulnerable sector, has benefited significantly from digitalization. The electronic transition of over ten key preschool and school services reduced the bureaucratic burden by over 50 percent. Similarly, automated systems for university admissions and documentation streamlined higher education processes, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks by 2.2 times.
Law enforcement and public service sectors have also shown marked improvements. Equipping traffic inspectors with body cameras and auction-based license plate distribution systems have successfully minimized corruption opportunities in traffic management. Moreover, comprehensive digital public services expanded dramatically, with 721 e-services now serving more than 11 million users.
These targeted reforms have significantly boosted entrepreneurship, evidenced by the addition of nearly 200,000 new entrepreneurs and a fivefold increase in enterprises involving foreign partners. Collectively, these initiatives have cultivated confidence among citizens, entrepreneurs, and international investors, attracting over $120 billion in investments and doubling Uzbekistan’s economy over the past seven years.
Nevertheless, the President emphasized that the fight against corruption must remain continuous and proactive rather than merely punitive. Highlighting an ongoing gap, he noted that law enforcement still primarily focuses on penalizing corruption after it occurs, rather than preventing it.
Addressing this, a major shift in the Anti-Corruption Agency’s methodology was proposed. Initially, compliance control responsibilities for five strategic agencies—including Health, Construction, Water Resources, Uzbekneftegaz, and Uzsuvtaminot—will transition to the Agency as a pilot project. At the local level, district-specific assessments of corruption factors will inform targeted preventive measures, acknowledging that 75 percent of corruption-related crimes originate at the community level.
To enhance regional accountability, local councils combating corruption will undergo comprehensive restructuring, placing elected regional deputies at their helm. These councils will recommend necessary legislative amendments to the National Council to reinforce accountability and eradicate systemic corruption.
Further, the previously established sector-based regional development approach has evolved sufficiently, enabling prosecutors and tax and law enforcement officials to refocus their duties solely on crime prevention and anti-corruption enforcement.
The meeting also underscored rigorous standards in public procurement, calling for the creation of an Expert Commission tasked with monitoring procurement practices and ensuring transparency. An electronic monitoring platform will track pricing in public procurement, ensuring prices remain within 20 percent of the market average and instituting penalties for non-compliance. Priority will be given to local suppliers in government procurement, further incentivizing transparency and ethical practice.
Fundamental to lasting success in combating corruption, the President highlighted, is cultivating integrity within the civil service.
This entails improving recruitment practices and implementing a transparent income declaration system for civil servants, with public oversight.
Importantly, fostering a societal culture intolerant of corruption begins with education. Thus, honesty and ethical standards will be integrated deeply into school curricula, equipping the younger generation to proactively oppose corruption.
Appealing to the broader public, the President emphasized collective responsibility, declaring corruption a “plague on society.” He called on activists, intellectuals, cultural figures, businesses, politicians, and the general public to unite against this challenge, stressing that meaningful change is achievable only through concerted effort.
In an unprecedented display of political commitment, the President unveiled 55 actionable initiatives—including five new laws, 12 presidential decrees, and several government resolutions—to reinforce institutional and public capacities against corruption. These include enhancing the role of Parliament, civil society institutions, and the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Ultimately, these systemic improvements promise significant economic, social, and ethical dividends: bolstered public trust, enhanced investment climate, and increased stability. As Uzbekistan strengthens its commitment to transparency, the nation aspires not only to elevate its standing in international anti-corruption rankings but also to prepare for its candidacy at the 2027 UNCAC (United Nations Convention Against Corruption) conference.
Through these sustained efforts, Uzbekistan is laying the groundwork for a future shaped by integrity, transparency, and collective responsibility, marking a new chapter in its national journey.
