Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

At this moment, a briefing is taking place at the Agency of Information and Mass Communications (AOKA) with the participation of Sirojiddin O‘sarov, Head of the Press Service of the Ministry of Culture and Adviser to the Minister on Information Policy, regarding the anti-corruption efforts within the Ministry of Culture.

Below is the full text of the briefing:

Greetings, everyone!
In today’s briefing, we will provide information on the activities carried out by the Anti-Corruption Service of the Ministry of Culture in 2024.

Significant organizational and legal reforms are being implemented in our country to combat corruption. Systematic measures are being taken to raise legal awareness and culture among the population and foster an uncompromising attitude towards corruption within society.

At the core of these efforts lies the noble principle: “For the dignity of the individual.”

As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has emphasized:
"We must take strict measures to combat corruption, crime, and other legal violations in our society, prevent them, and ensure that the principle of inevitable punishment for crime is fully enforced by law."

The Anti-Corruption Service of the Ministry of Culture conducted its activities in 2024 based on the "Plan for Anti-Corruption Effectiveness Reviews of the Ministry’s Regional Divisions and System Organizations."

To prevent corruption-related offenses and minimize corruption risks in the sector, the Minister of Culture issued a special order approving the Ministry's Anti-Corruption Policy.

Throughout 2024, under the Ministry’s directives, anti-corruption effectiveness reviews were conducted in various institutions, including:

• "Uzbekkonsert" State Institution (including its Tashkent City and Tashkent Region branches)
• "Uzbekistan State Philharmonic" (including its Tashkent Region branch)
• The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and its affiliated organizations
• The Tashkent City Department of Culture and its affiliated institutions
• The Departments of Culture in Khorezm, Bukhara, Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand, Andijan, Namangan, Fergana, Jizzakh, and Syrdarya regions, along with their system organizations.

During these reviews, instructions were given to address the identified shortcomings.

Additionally, based on these findings, meetings were held with employees of "Uzbekkonsert", the Uzbekistan State Philharmonic, the Ministry of Culture of Karakalpakstan, theaters, and cultural departments across various regions. These meetings included the participation of law enforcement officials.

Furthermore, in 2024, a total of 10 service investigations were conducted regarding violations in public procurement. As a result:

• 19 responsible employees faced disciplinary measures in accordance with the Labor Code of Uzbekistan.
• 12 officials who failed to comply with legal requirements were dismissed.
• 20 employees received official reprimands.

The Ministry of Culture has issued a strict directive to ensure compliance with the Law on Public Procurement and other legal regulations, emphasizing that any official engaged in conflicts of interest or corruption-related actions will be held accountable by law.

Throughout 2024, the Ministry of Culture received 14 corruption-related complaints from individuals and legal entities. Each case was thoroughly investigated, and responses were provided to the applicants.

Additionally, information from seven organizational audits was forwarded to law enforcement authorities for legal evaluation.

To ensure compliance with the Presidential Decree PQ-210 on Conflict of Interest Prevention, strict oversight has been implemented across the Ministry of Culture and its affiliated institutions.

To further enhance transparency:

• Briefings were held at AOKA, where updates on anti-corruption activities were shared with the public.
• Findings from anti-corruption investigations were covered by national and regional television networks.
• An “Open Doors Day” was held in October 2024, allowing citizens, employees, students, and journalists to receive detailed information on the Ministry’s anti-corruption efforts.

On December 9 – International Anti-Corruption Day, Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov addressed Ministry employees in a video message, which was published on the Ministry’s official website, social media pages, and various media platforms.

Dear citizens,
If you encounter or witness any corruption-related incidents within the Ministry of Culture system, please report them through the following channels:

📩 Telegram bot – @antikorrupsiya_madaniyat_bot
📞 Phone number – 55-502-33-77 (then dial 1109 for the internal extension)
📧 Email – antikorrupsiya@madaniyat.uz

⚠ All whistleblower information is kept strictly confidential.

👉 Our goal is to actively contribute to building a corruption-free society!