On April 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev fired dozens of senior officials and issued a warning to the Tashkent mayor at a government meeting on improving the effectiveness of the system of work in mahallas and ensuring employment, the president’s spokesman Sherzod Asadov said.

Reportedly, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that in three months, assistant mayors conducted a full study in 6.9 million households, where 35.3 million people live, and divided them into four categories:

• 11% are low-income households;
• 47% have a regular income, but need additional income;
• 6% are in need of social protection;
• 36% are prosperous families with a good economic situation.

“That is, through the new system, every mayor, his first deputy for economy and assistants to mayors learned that they need to work with 64% of the population,” the report says.

Local officials and assistants to mayors provided jobs for 736,000 citizens in three months and trained 54,000 citizens from the first and second categories of households in various skills and entrepreneurship.

At the initiative of mayors’ assistants in mahallas, 1.3 trillion soums in loans and 20 billion soums in subsidies were allocated for the implementation of 50,000 family business projects.

As a result, 47,000 new businesses started operating in provinces, 8,000 small production and service facilities were launched, and 2,500 enterprises were restored and increased their capacity.

“For the first time in Uzbekistan’s history, we are talking about such large numbers implemented in practice. We have created a system and conditions in mahallas. Of course, those officials of districts and cities who worked selflessly are giving results,” the president said.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed to award 14 assistant mayors who showed best results and send a letter of thanks to 2943 assistant mayors who achieved positive results.

The head of state also harshly criticized the shortcomings in the system. In particular, in 40% of mahallas, the results of the work of assistant mayors are not yet visible.

For example, in 450 mahallas, the unemployment rate is at over 20%. There are 49 such mahallas in Tashkent province, 52 in Fergana, and 45 in Andijan.

In this regard, the Tashkent mayor Jahongir Artykhodzhaev, his first deputy, as well as the chief of State Tax Department of the capital Yunusjon Nasimdzhanov were warned. He instructed to consider the issue of compliance with the positions of the first deputy mayors of the Fergana and Khorezm provinces.

In addition, the following officials were fired:

• mayors of Altinkul district of Andijan province and Zarafshan city of Navoi province;
• first deputies of mayors of Bekabad, Akkurgan, Kasansay, Nishan, Izboskan, Kurgantepa, Shavat, Turtkul, Tamdyn, Turakurgan, Kumkurgan, Fergana provinces and the cities of Navoi and Kattakurgan;
• prosecutors of Karmana and Farish districts;
• chiefs of the police department of Yangiyer, Shakhrisabz and Farish district;
• heads of state tax inspections of Nurata, Muzrabat, Shakhrisabz and Mirzachul provinces;

“At the same time, it is very sad that some assistants to local mayors are engaged in extortion, promising to help with obtaining loans, subsidies and land,” the president said.

For example, an assistant hokim in the Sharq mahalla in the Turakurgan district was caught accepting a bribe for recommending a soft loan and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Similar cases occurred in Mirzo-Ulugbek, Yunusabad, Buka, Bakhmal districts, Margilan and Shirin.

“I strongly warn all governors and mayors of provinces, districts and cities, their first deputies, representatives of the republic, and heads of departments. There will be no place among us for leaders who do not meet the needs of the people and do not understand the importance of human dignity,” the President said.