President Mirziyoyev signed a decree “On measures to create circumstances of uncompromising attitude to corruption, to quickly reduce corruption factors in state and public administration and to expand public participation in this direction”. The wording in the title of the document formally shows the authorities’ determination to fight bribery and theft in the country.
It’s planned to create an “open electronic register of persons found guilty of corruption offenses”. They are prohibited from entering the civil service and further rewarding with state awards. In particular, it will become impossible for business entities, established by them and (or) with their participation, to participate in public procurement and public-private partnership transactions as participants (executors), tenders and competitive bidding related to the privatization of state assets.
From January 1, 2022, a system of compulsory declaration of income and property of civil servants, heads of institutions with a state share of over 50 %, their spouses and minor children will be introduced.
Officials no longer have the right to open and own accounts, keep funds, own real estate and other property outside the republic. It’s planned to sharply increase the punishment for corruption crimes up to life imprisonment.
The ACCA expert emphasizes one of the points of the document, “a conflict of interest is a situation that affects or may affect the objective and impartial fulfillment by an official of his/her obligations in relation to personal interests.”
“Such measures can only be welcomed, if it were not…” the expert sums up. “Clear signs of elite corruption are visible in procurement without tenders, as well as the participation of relatives of high-ranking officials in major transactions and projects.”
Since April, the Anti-Corruption Agency has been studying and cannot evaluate the transfer of large state orders to the company “Trest-12”, where the son and wife of the Minister of Construction Batyr Zakirov are among the shareholders. The official himself easily repulsed accusations of a conflict of interest, confirming the work of his relatives for Trest-12. He is confident that the company was chosen for its image and 42-year history.
“Decisions on the appropriation of projects without a tender are made by the Cabinet of Ministers and the President, and they don’t depend on him or his family,” the Minister said.
In recent years, Trest-12 has coped with government orders totaling over $ 135 million without tenders.
The auction in June looks dubious, as a result of which the former central building of the State Security Service was sold for $ 19.5 million to Metropol Group LLC. The only founder is Daniyar Abdulazizovich Kamilov – the son of Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.
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