A public discussion of the results of assessment of integrity and corruption risk factors in establishing public-private partnership-based pre-school education institutions has taken place in the capital.

The Anti-Corruption Agency, Yuksalish Nationwide Movement and Regional Dialogue International NGO, Slovenia, acted the organizers of the event. At the beginning of the discussion, Akmal Burkhanov, Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, spoke about the relevance of this assessment today.

The assessment was conducted as part of the project ‘Creating the first anti-corruption laboratories in Uzbekistan’, implemented by the Anti-Corruption Agency in cooperation with Yuksalish Nationwide Movement and Regional Dialogue International NGO since 2020.

Sociological surveys have been conducted among key groups of respondents, involved in public-private partnership: representatives of district departments of preschool education, hokimiyats, banks, heads of PPP-based preschool educational institutions, and parents of children in 7 regions - Tashkent city, Tashkent, Bukhara, Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions. In total, 413 people.

Most groups of respondents consider the preparation of project documentation for PPP-based preschool education institutions difficult. In particular, 25 percent of entrepreneurs called the application procedure complicated, 17 percent- non-transparent, 10 percent - highly bureaucratic.

At the event, reports were heard of experts on anti-corruption strategies and methodology for assessing corruption risks.

Opinions and recommendations were also given on amending the current legislation to reduce corruption risks.

Following the discussion, it was proposed to further strengthen cooperation to reduce the identified corruption risk factors and increase the effectiveness of p public-private partnership-based projects.

Press Office

The Anti-Corruption Agency