Improving the legal culture of business entities, strengthening the intolerant attitude towards corruption in business, expanding the layer of conscientious entrepreneurs is the basis for creating a corruption-free business environment. In order to effectively implement these measures, on November 30, 2021, the Anti-Corruption Agency signed an Agreement on Mutual Cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Agreement also defines other important tasks, including the development of proposals for creating a favorable business and investment climate in the country, promoting the implementation of the principles of the priority of the interests of entrepreneurs and the inviolability of private property, as well as proposals to eliminate the causes and conditions that negatively affect or limit their activities.

For these purposes, in the first quarter of 2023, the Anti-Corruption Agency, together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Ombudsman, conducted a survey among 2,490 business entities.

When asked if they have encountered corruption situations in the course of doing business, 206 (8.2%) respondents answered “yes, always”, 825 (34%) respondents answered “sometimes”, and 1459 (58.8%) respondents answered “never”. 1,664 (66.6%) respondents believe that the level of corruption in the area (city) of residence has decreased over the past year, 290 (11%) respondents believe that it has increased, and 536 (21.4%) respondents did not notice any changes.

According to 850 respondents, entrepreneurs face corruption when obtaining a license, 792 respondents noted that they face corruption when allocating land, 598 - when checking business activities.

In May 2023, a regular survey was conducted among 3,200 business entities. According to the survey, 333 (10.4%) business entities had to wait for a loan for more than 2 months, 292 (9.1%) respondents answered that the loan allocation took 2 months, 713 (22.3%) respondents waited for a loan for 1 month, 772 (24.1%) - 15 days, and only 689 (21.6%) entrepreneurs managed to get a loan from a bank within 10 days.

According to the results of the survey, 1275 (39.9%) respondents were denied a loan.

When asked if they have encountered a demand for an informal payment or a gift from a bank employee (position), 534 (16.7%) entrepreneurs answered that it was the head of the credit department, 507 (15.9%) of the respondents answered that such demands came from the credit department specialist, 399 (12.5%) - the branch manager, 161 (5%) - the responsible employee of the regional branch of the bank, 108 (3.4%) the head of the regional bank branches.

466 (15.4%) entrepreneurs noted that the amount of informal payments or the value of gifts ranges from 1 million soums to 10 million soums. 452 (15%) entrepreneurs answered that the amount is from 100 thousand to 1 million soums, 316 (10.5%) - from 10 million to 100 million soums, 179 (5.9%) - more than 100 million soums.

Through surveys, corruption situations in the activities of business entities, their causes and conditions were determined, and at the same time, appropriate proposals were developed aimed at finding their rational solution.

Also, within the framework of the Agreement, the Code of Business Ethics of Uzbekistan was developed in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Ombudsman and the UNODC Representative Office in Central Asia, which was distributed among entrepreneurs.

The Integrity in Business Community of Uzbekistan Forum, held in November 2022, was another important step in this track. The adoption of the Anti-Corruption Business Charter during the Forum was a clear evidence of productive cooperation.

The Charter provides for comprehensive measures aimed at preventing corruption risks in such important areas as managing the financial activities of an economic entity, contractual relations, recruitment and training of personnel, strengthening internal discipline and legality, public procurement.

Implementation of the norms of the Charter makes it possible to prevent corruption in the private sector, increase the investment attractiveness of the country, and introduce a system to encourage honest entrepreneurs.

In order to implement the norms of the Charter, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry developed the Regulation ‘On the procedure for joining the Charter and maintaining a single register of participants in the Charter’. The regulation was approved by a joint decision of the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Ombudsman.

The regulation clearly defines the procedure for joining the Charter of business entities, displaying data in the electronic Unified Register and excluding them from the Register. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been appointed responsible for maintaining the Register, and the procedure for issuing certificates to business entities that have effectively implemented anti-corruption measures has been established.

In 2022, 265 business entities joined the Charter within five meetings of the Commission for Admission to the Anti-Corruption Charter. In the first half of 2023, within two meetings of the Commission, the number of members increased by 226.

In addition, round tables, workshops and meetings with business entities have been organized in mutual cooperation. In particular, on May 18-20, 2022, the Anti-Corruption Agency, together with the Prosecutor General’s Office and the UNODC Office in Central Asia organized the first regional seminar on the topic ‘Preventing and Combating Corruption in Investment Activities’ in Samarkand,  on November 10, a dialogue with entrepreneurs ‘Business Against Corruption’ was organized, and on November 29 Tashkent hosted the international business forum on the topic ‘Integrity in Business Community of Uzbekistan’.

The Anti-Corruption Agency will continue to cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the fight against bureaucratic obstacles in business activities and corruption. The goal is to create a business environment free from corruption in the New Uzbekistan.

Press Office

The Anti-Corruption Agency