Prosecutor, Interior Ministry, and Tax authorities relieved from sector duties — Mirziyoyev

The system of dividing regions into sectors has been abolished. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this decision today, March 5, during a meeting in the Senate.  

It was reported that assigning tax authorities to each mahalla did not result in a significant increase in revenues. Thousands of enterprises declared in their reports that they had no employees, while thousands more indicated only one or two employees — evidence that tax authorities are working sluggishly with the underground economy.  

Although it was established that honest entrepreneurs should receive value-added tax refunds within seven days, tax authorities failed to process approximately 2,500 appeals from entrepreneurs, totaling 487 billion sums, in a timely manner.  

"From now on, the prosecutor, the interior ministry, and the tax authorities will not deal with the activities of the sectors," the President declared.  

Instead, the Deputy Prime Ministers will oversee their respective areas using their own forces and systems. Reforms in poverty reduction, social protection, and entrepreneurship are being implemented to reach every individual, with the same approach set to be introduced at the district and mahalla levels to combat crime and prevent corruption.  

“Why am I saying this? Because investors will invest more in a safe place where crime is firmly controlled, and the trust of our people will increase further,” the President stated.  

The President clarified that mayors will remain the heads of district crime prevention efforts, coordinating all related work.  

"Let the heads of the prosecutor's office, internal affairs, and tax authorities listen carefully: releasing them from sector work does not mean returning to the old days and creating obstacles for the population and entrepreneurs at every step or fostering corruption," Mirziyoyev warned.  

The President emphasized that the regional situation should be discussed weekly with the prosecutor and the head of internal affairs.  

The Prosecutor General's Office, the Academies of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Universities of Law and Public Security were assigned regions and sectors for crime prevention. However, it was pointed out that these institutions were not sending their scientists to neighborhoods with high crime rates and were not making efforts to transform these areas into exemplary communities.  

It was proposed that the National Council request quarterly reports from the heads of these universities.  

Additionally, the Senate was urged to propose measures to sharply reduce crime in at least one region, while the Legislative Assembly was tasked with making proposals to eliminate corruption in at least one sector — steps expected to significantly boost effectiveness.  

A new system was proposed where ministers and governors would present their specific anti-corruption plans to parliament and local councils before being appointed to their positions.  

Earlier, the President highlighted that the country has made strides in transparency, with an open system enabling public discussions on corruption. The media's role in exposing corruption has grown significantly, unlike in the past when such topics were entirely off-limits. Uzbekistan's position in international openness rankings has improved by 138 places, making it the top country in Central Asia and 30th globally.