Photo: press service of Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has removed prosecutors, police chiefs, and tax authorities from overseeing regional development projects. The announcement was made during an expanded session of the National Anti-Corruption Council, according to the presidential press service.
Moving forward, regional development efforts will be handled exclusively by deputy prime ministers, each overseeing their respective sectors using their own resources and systems.
👉 In 2017, Uzbekistan’s regions—including Karakalpakstan, provinces, districts, and cities—were divided into designated «sectors» for comprehensive social and economic development. These zones were jointly managed by regional administrators (hokims), prosecutors, police chiefs, and tax officials, who were responsible for addressing infrastructure, employment, and social welfare issues.
According to Mirziyoyev, this system helped mobilize resources to tackle long-standing socio-economic problems, leading to significant regional improvements. However, security officials have faced criticism for prioritizing sectoral responsibilities over their core duties.
The president pointed out that each mahalla (neighborhood) has an assigned posbon (preventive inspector), yet district police departments have failed to integrate them effectively. Many police supervisors neglect systematic engagement with high-risk mahallas, and some district and city police chiefs have been caught concealing crimes to improve crime statistics.
The introduction of an automated system to log crime reports via the 102 emergency hotline has helped create a “digital trail” for each case. However, Mirziyoyev criticized police officials for manipulating these records by delaying crime registrations for months.
To address these issues, newly appointed Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov has been instructed to:
✔️ Equip all preventive police stations in mahallas with surveillance cameras.
✔️ Provide all posbons with body cameras.
✔️ Launch a new digital platform for recording violations.
✔️ Fully digitize the crime registration system.
Additionally, Mirziyoyev accused prosecutors of lax oversight in criminal investigations. He cited 637 criminal cases that were sent back for further investigation due to procedural shortcomings. The General Prosecutor’s Office has been tasked with strengthening investigative quality and crime prevention efforts.
“The General Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs need to wake up, work differently, and keep each other in check,” Mirziyoyev declared.
The president also criticized tax authorities, stating that their attachment to mahallas had not resulted in a significant increase in budget revenues. He noted that thousands of companies report having only one or two employees—or none at all—indicating weak enforcement against the shadow economy.
Furthermore, Mirziyoyev expressed dissatisfaction with the Anti-Corruption Agency, calling its staff mere “statisticians” who simply tally the number of criminal cases. He questioned why officials only take action after direct presidential orders and ordered the dismissal of anti-corruption department heads across 117 ministries and agencies.
