Legal oversight system introduced to curb corruption in key sectors

An anti-corruption regulatory experiment will be conducted in the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Ministry of Water Resources, Uzbekneftgaz JSC, and Uzsuvtaminot JSC. The initiative was outlined in a presidential decree issued on April 21, 2025, titled “Measures to Ensure the Independence and Efficiency of Internal Anti-Corruption Oversight Units in State Agencies and Organizations.”

According to the decree, a new system will be introduced as part of this legal experiment until January 1, 2027.

Officials from the Anti-Corruption Agency will be appointed to lead the internal anti-corruption oversight units in the designated ministries and companies. These newly appointed leaders will report directly to the agency rather than to their respective institutions. The agency and participating organizations will jointly oversee, coordinate, and monitor the activities of these oversight units.

The decree also designates the Anti-Corruption Agency as the special authority responsible for coordinating and methodologically supporting state institutions' internal oversight units. Additionally, it will handle staff training, certification, and professional development in the field of anti-corruption.

By July 1, 2025, the E-anticor.uz platform will introduce an electronic module to manage an online registry of internal oversight officials, facilitate electronic reporting, and conduct anonymous surveys for public disclosure.

The decree further outlines the key responsibilities of internal anti-corruption oversight units within state agencies and organizations, as well as business entities with 50% or more government ownership. These priorities include:

• Early detection and prevention of corruption risks by addressing underlying causes and conditions;
• Eliminating corruption-prone factors in public services, particularly through digitalization and reducing bureaucracy;
• Conducting anti-corruption assessments of internal regulatory documents and proposing amendments to remove corruptive legal norms.

These oversight units will report directly to the top executives of their respective organizations and remain accountable to them.

Minimum criteria for establishing internal anti-corruption oversight units have also been approved.