The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, expressed dissatisfaction with the work of fiscal and law enforcement structures responsible for monitoring budget funds in large companies. As a result, a decision was made to dismiss the Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee (TC) Mubin Mirzaev and the Director of the State Assets Management Agency (SAMA) Akmalhon Ortikov, as reported by the president's press service.
Discussing issues of corruption in government bodies, the president noted that during inspections of the activities of the state company "Uzbekneftegaz" and SAMA, large embezzlements were identified, amounting to billions of sums. In one case, agency officials put a land plot valued at a minimum of 250 billion sums ($20.6 million) up for a closed auction and sold it for 120 billion ($9.9 million).
In connection with these violations, the head of SAMA, Akmalhon Ortikov, was dismissed.
“The question is how corruption could thrive in these institutions for many years, and where were those responsible for security?” the president noted.
The president instructed the Chairman of the State Security Service, Bahodir Kurbanov, to investigate the actions of employees who oversaw the work of "Uzbekneftegaz" and the State Assets Management Agency.
The head of state also pointed out significant problems in the taxation sphere, noting that cases of embezzlement of budget funds through artificial inflation of value-added tax (VAT) have increased. Last year, criminal cases were initiated against 20 inspectors for illegal VAT refunds.
As a result, a decision was made at the meeting to dismiss the First Deputy Chairman of the Republic's Tax Committee, Mubin Mirzaev, who was responsible for this area.
Particular attention was paid to the situation in Tashkent, where the level of the shadow economy reached 60 trillion sums ($4.9 billion), leading to annual budget losses of 7.5 trillion sums ($619 million).
Excise tax payers are concealing production and sales volumes, which reduces fiscal revenues. Capital city inspectors work extremely inefficiently: about 30,000 VAT payers have not contributed a single sum to the budget, and a quarter of cash registers in trade and services are non-functional.
Some tax inspectors "protect" businessmen. The president clarified that last week the head of the tax inspection of the Mirzo-Ulugbek district of the capital, Dilshod Usmanov, was dismissed. A criminal case was initiated against him, revealing that the official was renting out part of the inspection building, embezzling 315 million sums ($26,000), and was also involved in embezzlement and criminal activities.
Moreover, there is no discipline regarding tax payments in the "Chorsu" and "Malika" markets in Tashkent. Out of 1,500 businessmen, only a quarter are registered, many ignore fiscal contributions and conceal their incomes. While tax officials meet their plans at the expense of honest entrepreneurs, more than 46,000 organizations overpaid 876 billion sums ($72.3 million).
Considering the outlined problems, Mirziyoyev instructed to dismiss the head of the State Tax Administration of Tashkent, Yunusjon Nasimjanov, and the head of the tax inspection of the Shaykhantakhur district, Khojiakbar Mullazhanov, as well as to analyze the activities of these officials to ensure the rule of law.
Additionally, it was instructed to immediately relieve the Deputy Head of the City Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, Ganiev, of his duties for assisting entrepreneurs in tax evasion. The Chairman of the TC of Uzbekistan, Farrukh Pulatov, was also instructed to dismiss all heads of district inspections in Tashkent, transferring them to acting status.
