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 focus on safeguarding human interests and creating favorable conditions for citizens and entrepreneurs.
It was emphasized that without effective public governance, meaningful results in any sphere are impossible. Citizens evaluate the state’s performance 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 adopting modern approaches to public governance.
Cooperation with the United Arab Emirates plays an important role in this process. In recent years, the partnership between the two countries in 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 to exchange best practices in public administration.
The “Uzbekistan Government Quality” program was highlighted as a practical outcome of this cooperation.
The Head of State emphasized that the program provides an objective assessment of state institutions’ activities, identifies their strengths and shortcomings, promotes best practices, and fosters a healthy competitive environment.
As part of the program, from January through April this year, international experts and local specialists assessed the performance indicators, management quality, and leadership competencies of executives across 40 national agencies.
At the award ceremony, the achievements of several ministries and agencies were especially highlighted.
The Ministry of Justice was recognized as the most exemplary ministry for implementing the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy. As noted, the ministry has transformed into a modern, open, and digitally driven institution in a short period. To date, 380 services have been fully digitized through the launch of 30 digital platforms, enabling citizens to access more than 780 services online. Additionally, 208 public service centers now operate under a unified standard nationwide.
The Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology was recognized as the most exemplary ministry for 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 decreased by 20 percent, and the localization rate for core mining equipment has reached 84 percent.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs was recognized for achieving exemplary results in delivering 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 in 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 Best Administrative Employee award. 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 Best Young Talent award, while Mirsaid Rakhmatov, head of a division at the Ministry of Justice, was recognized as Best Human Resources Employee.
Deputy Minister of Health Olim Omonov was recognized as the most exemplary deputy minister, Director of the Atomic Energy Agency Azim Akhmedkhodjayev as the most exemplary agency director, and Chairman of the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection Khalillo Turakhodjayev as the most exemplary committee chairman.
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 adopting new approaches in their work should serve as an example to others.
The President noted that in the coming stages, the program will become even more open and demanding. In the future, alongside institutions demonstrating strong performance, organizations lagging 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” program will be held every other year. In the next stage, local administrations will also participate, 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 public administration system 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 for ministries and agencies should be achieving results rather than focusing solely on processes.
