Uzbekistan strengthens anti-corruption laws

Representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued an official statement regarding Uzbekistan's legislative achievements in the fight against corruption. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

According to Upl.uz, draft laws aimed at declaring the income and assets of public officials and protecting whistleblowers reporting corruption have been developed in Uzbekistan. These documents are currently being prepared for consideration by the Oliy Majlis.

IMF experts particularly emphasized the positive changes in Uzbekistan's legislative system. Notably, the adoption of the "On Conflict of Interest" law was positively assessed.

This law is recognized as the initial step in systemic reforms. Now, the international community's attention is focused on the submission of draft laws on protecting whistleblowers and declaring the assets of public officials to the parliament.

However, there is still no clear information regarding the content of the draft laws and the timelines for their submission to the parliament. The press service of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis informed the Spot publication that these documents have not yet been introduced for parliamentary discussion.

This creates certain uncertainties within the scope of reforms. In May 2024, the IMF recommended that the Uzbekistan government not delay the implementation of financial transparency mechanisms for public officials.

In March 2024, during the National Council meeting on Combating Corruption, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the necessity of adopting a law on declaring the income of public officials. He stressed that transparency in public administration is a primary demand of the public.

According to the President's directive, the draft law "On Declaring the Income and Assets of Public Officials" is scheduled to be finalized in May 2024. The law envisages procedures for filling out declarations and mechanisms for verifying the information contained therein.

Additionally, the draft law provides for the introduction of liability for illegal enrichment. This will impose an obligation on public officials to prove the legality of their sources of assets.

If this requirement is not met, the assets may be considered illegal. According to the IMF statement, these draft laws have entered the final stage before parliamentary hearings.

These reforms are expected to be a significant turning point in the fight against corruption.