Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A videoconference chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was held to assess the effectiveness of ongoing reforms, the situation across the regions, and the search for concrete solutions to pressing issues facing the population.

Over the past five months, Uzbekistan’s industrial production has grown by 6.4%, exports have risen by 18%, and foreign investment has increased by 46%. More than 2,500 new production facilities worth a total of US$3 billion have been launched, providing 2.4 million people with a stable source of income.

However, a new hotspot of conflict has erupted in the world which, according to the President, will impact not only the Middle East but also the broader region. If the situation escalates further, it could severely disrupt trade ties and logistics routes that have only recently begun to recover post-pandemic.

“The demand for peace, justice, and respect for human dignity is more relevant than ever.

This is why every khokim must be able to anticipate risks and opportunities in their region, just as every minister should in their respective field. We cannot afford to wait for orders — we must take initiative and act proactively.

Above all, we need to strengthen dialogue with the population and businesses and respond promptly to their concerns. That is the fundamental responsibility of every leader,” the President stated.

President Mirziyoyev gave a critical assessment of how local governance is currently functioning.

In each district, there are more than 40 different organizations employing an average of 500 people. All of them have corresponding regional departments and leaders.

Nevertheless, the President pointed out that even for the simplest issues, some district institutions still need to seek permission first from the regional level, and then from national bodies.

For instance, in central Kumkurgan, a railway barrier that lowers 20 times a day causes traffic jams for over 8,000 cars. The issue could be resolved by moving the barrier just 200 meters, but neither the district nor regional khokims have the authority to do so — approval must come from Uzbekistan Railways.

Another example: half of the Termez–Sariosiyo railway is not electrified. As a result, diesel trains take three hours to travel a route that electric trains cover in 1.5 hours. Most people now prefer to use cars instead.

If suggestions from local khokims and residents had been heard and this section fully electrified, it would have ensured safe and convenient transport for 10 districts to and from Termez, the President noted.

Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov and Uzbekistan Railways Chairperson Zufar Narzullaev were criticized for their indifference toward these pressing issues.

Only 10% of revenues from water supply and sewerage services remain at the district level. But due to the lack of advance procurement, accidents that could be resolved in two to three hours now drag on for four to five days, as materials are only purchased after incidents occur.

“District organizations see themselves as 'inspectors', not service providers working to make people’s lives easier,” the President emphasized.

For example, eight inspectors work at the Kumkurgan district’s quarantine department, but their job is limited to finding faults and issuing export certificates — they provide no fumigation services. Similarly, the local ecology department only monitors tree cutting, but offers no guidance on what and where to plant under the Yashil Makon program, nor does it identify funding sources.

The delay in reforms, the President stressed, stems from a lack of discipline and order among government officials, including ministers, who fail to properly carry out their responsibilities.

One major issue is delays in the supply of liquefied gas — in some cases lasting 60 to 70 days. The situation is particularly dire in Andijan and Surkhandarya regions, where 70% of public complaints relate to gas shortages.

“If there are already gas supply issues in the summer heat, how will people cook their food in winter? This is the final warning to the officials in charge: find a solution within two weeks — or step down,” the President said firmly.

Another issue raised was the expected spike in electricity consumption due to the coming heatwave. Although summer began relatively mildly, temperatures — and electricity demand — are expected to surge in the coming weeks.

Two months ago, a National Agency for Energy Efficiency was established and allocated 100 billion soums from the state budget.

Now, the Ministry of Energy and the agency have been tasked with compiling a list of ministry, local government, and state enterprise employees whose households consume more than 500 kWh of electricity monthly. These households will receive assistance to transition to energy-efficient technologies through green renovation loans or subsidies. If necessary, extrabudgetary funds may be used.

The goal is to help at least 100,000 high-consumption households adopt energy-saving systems by the end of the year.

The President also reminded attendees that a new regulation was recently approved to stabilize prices for meat, dairy products, poultry, and eggs, while also encouraging businesses to operate transparently. Under this system, the government will refund 50% of VAT as cashback.

Officials were strictly warned: “Cashback payments must not be delayed — not even for a single day.”

He also addressed the khokims directly: “Let me be clear — under the new system, prices for essential food items must remain stable. Anyone who cannot ensure this will be dismissed,” the President underscored.

Another issue raised was the growing number of unexecuted court decisions. The volume of complaints about enforcement remains high.

In particular, one out of every five court rulings forwarded to the Bureau of Compulsory Execution last year was not implemented — a statistic that drew harsh criticism.

Last week, during a forum in Tashkent, foreign investors expressed growing interest in Uzbekistan, with trade and investment agreements worth US$30.5 billion signed.

The investment program for this year also includes plans to attract an additional US$26.5 billion. Notably, 35 major projects totaling US$3.3 billion must be launched by September 1 — without exception.

It was noted that certain infrastructure projects in road construction, water supply, and energy, financed by international financial institutions, are being delayed by 3 to 5 years.

For instance, had repeated tenders for a logistics center project — financed with a US$197 million loan from the Asian Development Bank back in 2019 — been avoided, Uzbekistan would not now be paying US$200,000 in loan interest for a project that hasn’t even started.

Similarly, if US$6 million in loan interest for projects in water supply, ecology, and rural infrastructure had been paid on time, no project would have been delayed.

The meeting also included a critical review of the activities of the Presidential Administration’s Inspection Office.

“Why was the Inspection Office of the Presidential Administration given such authority? To please ministers? Why does it merely forward complaints instead of conducting its own investigation and proposing accountability for those at fault?” the President asked.

In light of serious shortcomings and inefficiencies, it was decided that the Inspection Office of the Presidential Administration would be immediately dissolved.

A completely new system will now be established to reinforce executive discipline and improve how public appeals are handled.

From now on, responsibility for enforcing discipline will rest with the Accounts Chamber, whose powers will be significantly expanded.

In addition to monitoring the targeted use of budget funds allocated by government decisions, the Chamber will now evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken and the population’s level of satisfaction.

The Chairperson of the Accounts Chamber will conduct monthly assessments of implementation progress, identify weak links, ineffective leaders, and dysfunctional systems — and submit recommendations directly to the President.

The Accounts Chamber has been tasked with launching the nationwide electronic platform "People's Control" within a month, building on its prior successful implementation in Tashkent.

Through this platform, residents will be able to send photo and video messages regarding issues related to construction, public amenities, and infrastructure, indicating the exact location via a mobile app. Each resolved issue must be accompanied by a photographic report. The performance of khokims will be evaluated daily based on the speed and quality of how such complaints are addressed.

This platform will become a unified system for citizen appeals, integrating all ministries, departments, and local administrations.

"The system of people's reception offices has also turned from a mechanism that listens to the people and solves their problems into a mere dispatcher service that simply forwards complaints to government agencies," stated the President.

Last year, 55% of all complaints submitted via the Virtual and People’s Reception Offices were not resolved favorably. As a result, citizens increasingly turn to social media to voice their frustrations.

The largest number of social media complaints concern law enforcement, the judiciary, local authorities, the education system, and environmental issues. Nearly a thousand submissions included a request for a personal meeting with the President.

"In cities like Tashkent and Bukhara, the number of complaints about public officials has grown. When was the last time khokims analyzed these appeals? If ministers and khokims do not respond to the people, to whom should they turn? Every appeal represents a person’s fate, their pain, and their hope. We have no right to forget that!" the President emphasized.

In light of these systemic shortcomings, it was announced that all current employees of the People’s Reception Offices will be dismissed, and their positions will be filled by dedicated professionals capable of effectively solving problems.

From now on, regional and district khokims will personally oversee the People’s Reception Offices. Every working day will begin with them being present at these offices, listening to citizens' concerns firsthand.

"Khokims must understand clearly: from now on, it is unacceptable to postpone today’s problems for tomorrow. No more passing the buck—every issue must be resolved here and now, on the spot," declared the President.

To support this, the powers of district khokims will be expanded. They will also be provided with additional resources to address the pressing needs of the population.

The President also analyzed problems in several key areas and outlined concrete solutions.

Since the beginning of the year, 1.4 trillion soums have been allocated to supply water to 867 mahallas classified as "hardship zones." Thanks to these efforts, for the first time in 25–30 years, water has reached 80,000 hectares of household plots, benefiting 662,000 families.

However, the population has not been taught how to grow high-yield crops or how to harvest multiple times per season.

"If we can generate at least 2–3 soums worth of produce for every soum spent on irrigation, then 662,000 families could each earn an additional 5–6 million soums per season," the head of state emphasized.

He cited Karakalpakstan as an example: 150 billion soums were allocated to bring water to 89 mahallas there.

Officials have been instructed to develop a system that would enable the production of an additional 350–400 billion soums’ worth of crops from these household plots.

A total of 300 billion soums was allocated for the infrastructure of 1,156 driver projects—five in each district. However, it was revealed that construction has yet to begin on 27 projects in Bukhara and 22 in Navoi. In addition, project implementation in Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Fergana, and Tashkent regions is currently 1–2 months behind schedule.

Mirziyoyev Demands Results, Not Excuses: Regional Leaders Put on Notice

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a sharp critique of local authorities during a recent videoconference, stressing that significant funds and resources are being allocated, but tangible results remain elusive in many regions.

To accelerate the development of 16 targeted districts, each was allocated 70 billion soums. Although 336 billion soums have already been disbursed, the khokims of Chimbay, Asaka, and Chartak districts have repeatedly altered their project proposals over the past three months. The President criticized their indecisiveness and also pointed to delays in project implementation in Syrdarya and Yakkabag districts and the city of Yangiyul.

Khokims were warned that failure to deliver measurable results would lead to the retraction of allocated funds.

To modernize agriculture and boost fruit and vegetable exports, "Agrostar" companies were established in these 16 districts, receiving a combined 300 billion soums. Additionally, banks have extended credit lines of US$10 million each to support their operations.

However, in five of these districts, fruit and vegetable exports have declined compared to last year. The President directly challenged regional leaders:
“If Agrostar companies are fully resourced across the board, when will we start seeing real results?”

He emphasized the need to expand food production and increase exports. Yet, in many districts, the majority of available land comprises forests and pastures, which remain under the jurisdiction of national authorities. Lacking the legal authority, local khokims cannot use uncultivated forest lands for food production.

In this context, the President highlighted a vast untapped potential:
16 million hectares of pastureland and 12 million hectares of forestland could be mobilized to ensure national food security.
“With these resources, we could not only fully meet domestic demand for meat but also begin exporting it,” he said.

Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov has been tasked with calculating, within a month, how much forest and pastureland can be transferred to the population for food and fodder cultivation. These plots are to be auctioned transparently, and farmers and herders who receive the land must also be provided with working capital.

Employment generation and poverty reduction were also scrutinized. For the first half of the year, Uzbekistan aimed to create jobs for 2.6 million people and lift 722,000 citizens out of poverty.

Yet, despite adequate resources and conditions, 15 districts failed to meet employment targets. These districts include Muborak, Bustan, Vabkent, Markhamat, Fergana, Zangiota, Dustlik, Chartak, Karaozak, Uychi, Khanabad, Yangibazar, Parkent, Arnasay, and Uchkupirik.

President Mirziyoyev issued a strict warning:
If these khokims do not meet their employment plans within the next three months, they will be dismissed.

Weak performance in poverty alleviation was also noted in the cities of Uchkuduk, Angren, and the Karmana district.

While regional budget revenues have grown by 26% this year, the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the regions of Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, and Khorezm lag behind the national average.

Although land, property, and water taxes remain at the local level, 70–80% of tax officials’ time is spent physically collecting these taxes door-to-door.

The President questioned this approach:
“Isn’t it absurd to spend 2 soums of effort to collect 1 soum of tax? If the Tax Committee leadership and local officials regularly addressed the public via TV, newspapers, and social media to explain that paying taxes is not just a duty but a constitutional obligation, people would pay voluntarily.”

He suggested that instead of collecting taxes manually, tax officers in mahallas (neighborhoods) should focus on expanding the tax base.
Responsible officials were instructed to develop a new mechanism for collecting land, property, and water taxes at the mahalla level.

Social challenges were also in focus. Across Uzbekistan, 1,024 mahallas are officially classified as “high-risk,” 1,294 have recorded a rise in crime, and 1,500 report growing divorce rates. The highest concentration of “heavy” mahallas is found in Samarkand, Tashkent, and Fergana regions.

Of the 8,481 mahallas where elections have been held, 3,590 have elected new chairpersons, while 4,891 re-elected incumbents.
The Mahalla Association has been tasked with training these chairpersons and their advisory “group of seven” to operate under a new model. A full review of the mahalla system will follow the completion of the election cycle.

Turning to infrastructure, the President noted that 61 trillion soums have been allocated over the past seven years for road construction and repair — mainly on national and international roads. Yet, 75–80% of fatal traffic accidents occur on these same routes.

Public dissatisfaction was also voiced regarding poor public transportation and growing traffic congestion.

Another frequent grievance concerns the placement of traffic cameras, which currently focus solely on detecting violations and issuing fines. The President emphasized:
“These cameras must be used to manage traffic flows, reduce accidents, and ease congestion — not just for punishment.”

He criticized the slow pace of introducing proper lane markings, signage, and smart traffic lights. Despite past presentations on AI-powered traffic management systems in Tashkent, no real progress has been made.

Urban development also came under fire.
In Tashkent and other regional capitals, not a single khokim has initiated efforts to identify vacant land for green zones, outdoor recreation areas, sports facilities, or fountains. Residents also complain that existing playgrounds and green spaces between apartment buildings are being handed over to developers.

Although the President had ordered that adjacent areas of multi-story buildings be placed under the stewardship of management companies, a recent decree by the Tashkent khokim dated May 5 only formalized the cadastral status of land directly under 9,802 apartment blocks.

“The goal is clear — to sell off the remaining plots to private developers! Where is the oversight? Where is the rule of law?” the President asked sternly.

Deputy Prosecutor General S. Samadov and Minister of Justice A. Toshkulov have been instructed to carry out a joint inventory—together with the Uzbekcosmos Agency and the Cadastre Agency—to identify cases where green zones, sports facilities, or children's playgrounds were repurposed for other uses. Any such instances must be uncovered and the territories returned to their original designation.

They have also been tasked with reviewing khokims’ decisions on transferring adjacent land plots to management companies and revoking those that are inconsistent with the law.

"It’s important to clearly understand one thing: if the district-level administration fails to function effectively, no directives from above will help achieve the goals we’ve set," the President stated.

As an example, it was noted that due to salaries in the districts being three to four times lower than in ministries, staff turnover at the district level remains high.

Although a district khokim is responsible for around 500 functions under more than 100 laws and regulations, most are unaware of over half of them. The reason is that khokims and their deputies spend 40% of their time holding meetings.

Moreover, khokims lack the authority to manage staffing structures in district organizations, to reward competent leaders, or to replace ineffective ones. The organizational structure at the lower level does not align with the actual demands of socio-economic development.

No government body responsible for the integrated development of districts is currently capable of drafting and presenting a 3-to-5-year development program to a khokim. Everyone is focused solely on executing immediate tasks. As a result, in some districts, not even project proposals exist for the resources already allocated.

In response to this, a decision was made to overhaul the working methods and governance model at the district level.

By the end of the year, the new system will be fully implemented in Surkhandarya region and in 15 districts and cities designated as priority areas for accelerated development. These include Kungirot, Chimbay, Asaka, Gijduvan, Gallaorol, Yakkabog, Khatirchi, Chartak, Bulungur, Syrdarya, Kuva, Shovot, Khazarasp, Margilan, and Yangiyul, as well as the Bektemir district of Tashkent.

The responsibility for implementing the new system will rest with the Presidential Administration, representatives of the Government, and the regional khokims.

The President also illustrated how the new system will operate using Syrdarya district as an example.

Specifically, the district departments of nine ministries responsible for comprehensive development will be placed under the authority of the khokimiyat. These ministries include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Investments, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Employment, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Ecology, Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Family and Women’s Affairs, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

The khokim will be granted full authority to allocate staff between the khokimiyat and these nine ministries, determine staffing numbers, and make personnel decisions regarding hiring and dismissal.

Syrdarya district will also see an increase in its independent sources of revenue. For example, a portion of proceeds from administrative and financial fines, penalties resulting from tax audits, compensation for the loss of agricultural land, rental income from forest lands, and a share of income from public services—all of this will now remain in the district's budget.

These measures are expected to provide the district with an additional 12 billion soums annually.

The khokim will now have four deputies. Depending on the district’s development priorities, the khokim will independently define their areas of responsibility.

For instance, the khokim of Syrdarya district sees tourism, the service sector, and logistics as key drivers for the next three years. Therefore, the first deputy for economic affairs will also oversee these three sectors. Ten specific tasks will be assigned to this deputy, each backed by financial resources.

Likewise, the khokim and the other three deputies will be given precise mandates, each supported by dedicated funding.

If the khokim and deputies fully meet their key performance indicators (KPIs), the district’s funding for the following year will be increased by 10–15 percent. If they fail, funding will not increase and the responsible official will be dismissed.

The khokim of Syrdarya district will also establish a “Reform Taskforce” composed of representatives from the nine ministries, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, banks, the tax service, the cadastre authority, and leading entrepreneurs.

This taskforce will develop a three-year program within three months, covering all 38 mahallas in the district. The program will detail projects, infrastructure development, financing sources, and human resources. Based on this, next year’s programs for budgeting, infrastructure, production, services, investment, and employment will be formally approved.

Depending on the results in Syrdarya, this new governance model is set to be scaled nationwide starting next year.

Another important innovation is that, starting from August 1, salaries in all regional and district khokimiyats will be increased. Employees will receive a monthly bonus and additional performance-based incentives.

“But as they say, a clap is only heard when both hands strike together. Measures will be taken against those employees who fail to fulfill their assigned duties. Only then will everyone start working with discipline and according to the plan.

Regional and district khokims, their deputies, ministers, and heads of banks—let them remember this well: at the end of the first half of the year, I will be asking tough questions about who has done what, without embellishment,” the President emphasized at the conclusion of his speech.

Reports were then heard from the President’s advisors, members of the Government, ministers, and khokims.