The president signed a decree on February 16 approving the 2026 State Program which includes an item envisaging transition to digital ways to prevent corruption and to impose restrictions on civil servants moving to private sector jobs.

The Accounts Chamber shall develop a procedure regulating moving of civil servants to private sector jobs by May 2026.

It is assumed that for two years after dismissal, a former official will not be able to work for a company they previously controlled directly or indirectly. This will require a conclusion from the internal anti-corruption control service.

Uzbekistan has previously experienced personnel transfers from the civil service to private sector.

For example, Alisher Sultanov, former Minister of Energy (2019-2022) and former Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Complex for Geology, Fuel and Energy, Chemical, Petrochemical, and Metallurgical Industries (2017-2019), allegedly worked as an advisor to the oilfield services company Eriell. He then returned to government service as an advisor to the president on energy security, until his dismissal in December 2025.

In international practice, executives with strategically important and sensitive information are typically restricted from moving to a private sector job for a certain period after leaving their positions.

This so-called "cooling-off period" can last from three to five years, until the information is no longer relevant.

In a number of countries, such restrictions are accompanied by compensation mechanisms: former officials are provided additional payments or bonuses that allow them to temporarily avoid working in related fields or pursue careers in other areas without conflicts of interest.

Corruption Risk Map

By September 1, 2026, the Anti-Corruption Agency, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, must launch the Corruption Risk Map.

The electronic cartogram will cover 160 government bodies and 208 districts and cities. It will display in real time:

• government agency duties and positions with high corruption risk;
• corruption crime statistics by provinces;
• results of public surveys and identified systemic problems.

Based on this data, it is planned to develop targeted measures to eliminate corruption risks in specific departments and regions.

New deputy chiefs in 32 departments and state-owned companies

Starting March 1, 2026, deputy chief positions in charge fo compliance control and anti-corruption will be introduced in 32 ministries, departments, and large state-owned companies.

These include the ministries of health, preschool and school education, higher education, energy, agriculture and water management, construction and housing and public utilities, transport, mining and geology, investment, industry and trade, digital technology, employment, and poverty reduction, and the state-owned companies - the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Plant, the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Plant, Uzbekistan Railways, Uzbekistan Airways, Uzbekistan Airports, Uzbekneftegaz, Uzkimyosanoat, Khududgaztaminot, Regional Electric Networks, the Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange, Uzavtosanoat, and others.

Artificial Intelligence in Public Procurement

By June 2026, an automated control system for public procurement is planned to be implemented.

The system will:

• identify affiliations among tender participants;
• block the participation of related parties in the same lot;
• create a register of unscrupulous contractors.

If suspicious connections are detected, notifications will be automatically sent to the customer and regulatory authorities.

Toza Business (Clean Business) Program

The national Toza Business program will be launched for entrepreneurs, providing for the creation of a Business Charter to combat corruption.

Companies that join the charter and implement anti-corruption standards will be able to receive:

• a special compliance mark for use in advertising and on websites;
• preferences and benefits (the Ministry of Economy and Finance is expected to develop the mechanisms for these by May 2026).

It is expected that at least 1,000 businesses will join the charter.

Advisor Chatbot for Civil Servants

A "Maslakhatchi" (Advisor) chatbot will be launched for government employees.

It will provide real-time advice to officials if they encounter a conflict of interest or other legal restrictions.

Media Portal and Virtual Academy

A unified anti-corruption media portal will launch on April 1, 2026. Artificial intelligence will analyze 10,000-15,000 media and social media reports annually, identifying corruption alerts and monitoring government agencies' responses.

Virtual Anti-Corruption Academy platform will also be launched. It plans to train up to 30,000 civil servants annually using real-life simulations and knowledge testing.

The authorities hope that the introduction of digital tools and compliance mechanisms will enable a transition to systemic corruption prevention and reduce reliance on reactive measures.

Addressing loopholes in laws

Furthermore, an inventory check of over 2,000 legislative acts is planned.

The goal is to identify and eliminate conflicts, ambiguous wording, and "gaps" (where officials themselves decide whether to permit or not) that create fertile ground for bribery.

Uzbekistan dslipped to 124th place out of 182 in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, losing another point compared to the previous ranking. The country's scores have worsened for the second year in a row.