From January 1, 2022, Uzbekistan will introduce a system of of mandatory income and property declaration by civil servants, heads and deputies of state enterprises and institutions where government holds a stake of over 50%, as well as their spouses and minor children.
According to the Ministry of Justice, this is stipulated by the president’s July 6 Measures to create an environment of uncompromising attitude to corruption, drastically reduce corruption factors in state and public administration and expand public participation in this area decree."
In accordance with the decree, refusal to provide a declaration by civil servants and the introduction of deliberately false information shall be grounds for their dismissal from the civil service and bringing them to liability established by law;
From January 1, 2022, civil servants will also be banned from opening and owning accounts, keeping funds, owning real estate and other property outside the territory of Uzbekistan.
The document also establishes that failure to take measures to disclose and prevent conflicts of interest (a situation that affects or may affect the objective and impartial fulfillment by an official of his obligations in relation to personal interests) entails liability in the prescribed manner.
Specific requirements for the introduced system will be stipulated by the Declaration of income and property of civil servants bill and the Regulation of conflicts of interest bill, the drafts of which are to be developed in the coming months.
The decree also provides for the development of draft bills providing for:
- establishing in the Criminal Code a clear list of articles falling under the category of corruption offenses;
- harsher punishment for corruption crimes up to life imprisonment;
- establishment of responsibility for illegal enrichment revealed during the declaration of income and property;
- establishment of restrictions on the application of mitigating norms to persons who have committed corruption offenses.
