New stage in improving public governance quality begins

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the award ceremony for the “Uzbekistan Government Quality” programme at the International Congress Center.

In his address, the Head of State noted that in recent years Uzbekistan has elevated the principle, “It is not the people who should serve the government, but the government should serve the people,” to the level of state policy. Reforms are focused on ensuring human interests and creating favorable conditions for citizens and entrepreneurs.

It was emphasized that without effective public governance, it is impossible to achieve meaningful results in any sphere. Citizens evaluate the performance of the state through the tangible changes they experience in their daily lives. Therefore, government bodies must address public concerns in a timely, fair, and systematic manner.

The President noted that red tape and excessive bureaucracy can undermine the effectiveness of reforms and weaken public trust in state institutions. In this regard, Uzbekistan is focusing on introducing modern and advanced approaches to public governance.

Cooperation with the United Arab Emirates plays an important role in this process. In recent years, partnership between the two countries in the field of public administration has reached a new level. Last November, the countries jointly held international forums on artificial intelligence and the elimination of bureaucracy, and signed a cooperation agreement on the exchange of best practices in public administration.

The “Uzbekistan Government Quality” programme was highlighted among the practical outcomes of this cooperation.

The Head of State emphasized that the programme serves as an objective assessment of the activities of state institutions, identifying their strengths and shortcomings, promoting best practices, and fostering a healthy competitive environment.

As part of the programme, from January through April this year, international experts and local specialists assessed the performance indicators, management quality, and leadership competencies of executives from 40 national agencies.

At the award ceremony, the achievements of several ministries and agencies were particularly highlighted.

The Ministry of Justice was recognized as the most exemplary ministry in implementing the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy. As noted, within a short period the ministry has transformed into a modern, open, and digitally driven institution. To date, 380 services have been fully digitized through the launch of 30 digital platforms, enabling citizens to access more than 780 services online, while 208 public service centers now operate under a unified standard across the country.

The Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology was recognized as the most exemplary ministry in resource management. It was noted that allocated funds are being effectively directed toward geological exploration, the development of new deposits, and the broader advancement of the industry. As a result, water consumption in geological exploration has been reduced by 20 percent, while the localization rate of core mining equipment has reached 84 percent.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs was recognized for achieving exemplary results in the provision of public services. Today, 95 percent of the ministry’s nearly 60 services have been digitized. 72 previously separate databases have been integrated into the unified “Safe City” system, which connects 14 control centers and more than 20 ministries and agencies. Last year alone, over 148,000 administrative cases were processed remotely.

Outstanding managers and specialists were also honored as part of the competition. Maksud Bolibekov, head of a department at the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology, was named Best Manager. Fazliddin Muminov, head of a division at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, received the award for Best Administrative Employee. Shokhmirzo Umarov, chief specialist at the Uzatom Agency, was recognized as Best Specialist. Ummatoy Yuldosheva, adviser to the Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction, was named Best Female Employee. Akbarkhon Sobirkhonov, head of the project office at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, received the award for Best Young Talent, while Mirsaid Rakhmatov, head of a division at the Ministry of Justice, was recognized as Best Human Resources Employee.

The Head of State proposed promoting the award recipients to higher positions and including them in the national reserve of managerial personnel. He emphasized that their commitment to continuous self-improvement, innovative thinking, and the introduction of innovative approaches in their work should serve as an example for others.

The President noted that in the next stages the programme will become even more open and demanding. In the future, alongside institutions demonstrating strong performance, organizations lagging behind in efficiency and service quality will also be publicly identified. This approach will encourage government bodies to objectively assess their activities, eliminate shortcomings, and strengthen accountability to the public.

From now on, the “Uzbekistan Government Quality” programme will be held once every two years. In the next stage, local administrations will also take part, as the results of reforms must first and foremost be felt at the district and city levels.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that building an effective system of public administration that earns public trust, serves human interests, and improves people’s quality of life will remain a priority. He also noted that the key criterion in the work of ministries and agencies should be achieving results rather than focusing solely on processes.