December 9 – International Anti-Corruption Day

UzA’s new project:

“Leaders must put up a barrier to corruption!” Corruption can cause significant damage to society and the state. Corruption can cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

There are still cases of corruption, that is, the solution to any issue, for example, admission to study or employment, by giving bribes. Those who give and take these bribes surround us everywhere.

Although we suffer from this, we pretend that we do not see anything, sometimes disregarding it, and indifference only fuels corruption. It is possible to establish a reliable barrier and block any path leading to bribery...

It is no secret that officials of government agencies and organizations most often become participants in corruption crimes.

So why are such cases still allowed?

After all, the fight against corruption has been raised to the level of state policy. Isn’t preventing this disease one of the priority tasks?

In the new project “Managers must put up a barrier to corruption!”, implemented by the Uzbekistan National News Agency – UzA, we will ask similar questions to the heads of various agencies and organizations.

The project is being implemented as part of the joint project “Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem in Uzbekistan”, funded by the European Union and implemented in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency and the UN Development Programme.

Considering the need to focus on essential aspects of corruption and how to eradicate it, we began the project with a conversation with the Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency Akmal Burkhanov.

– Would you please tell what people should know about corruption?

– In my opinion, people should know 4 aspects related to corruption.

First, they should know how serious the corruption problem is – a global threat, that is, the level of its danger. If the consequences of other crimes, for example, even such a serious one as murder, affect the interests of one person or one family, corruption can lead to negative consequences for the entire society and the state. Corruption can cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

I will give just one example: if officials appropriate part of the funds allocated to a hospital to purchase drugs, then, as a result, the hospital will receive fewer drugs than stipulated by the standards, or drugs of lower quality. This can complicate treating patients and even create obstacles to saving their lives.

Second, our people should know what corruption is and its forms. What are the main ones? This is, first of all, bribery, that is, receiving and giving a bribe. For example, one of the most common ways to solve a problem and conceal a shortcoming or error is to receive or give a bribe for employment.

Another form is illegal enrichment, that is, using an official position to obtain benefits.

The next is theft of funds: this is the theft of budget funds, that is, public money or their use for personal purposes.

Third, it is necessary to consider the economic, social, and political consequences of corruption.

Economic consequences can lead to a slowdown in the rate of economic growth of the state, a decrease in investment attractiveness, and a lack of business development.

Social consequences lead to a decrease in citizens’ trust in government agencies, which negatively affects the quality of life of people and gives rise to social inequality.

The political consequences are related to the decline of democracy and transparency in the country, which leads to increased tension and instability in society.

Fourth, everyone must be aware of their role in combating this phenomenon. This means that everyone must take an active position, report violations to the relevant authorities, and actively participate in the process to increase openness and transparency and support honest citizens.

If citizens understand and actively counteract the nature of corruption and its consequences, we can create an honest and fair society.

– What to do when faced with corruption?

– There is no need to be afraid. Whether it is corruption or the possibility of corruption, it should be addressed to a person or institution that can take immediate action.

If you encounter this at work, you should contact the HR department, the internal security department, the compliance officer, or the ethics committee. 

If you encounter this outside of work, contact the call center at 1253 of the Anti-Corruption Agency or the Prosecutor’s Office.

Also, each ministry and agency has launched Telegram bots and call centers you can contact in case of corruption.

– For several years, we have discussed the “honesty vaccine”. To what extent is society, civil servants, citizens, including employees of your organization, susceptible to this “vaccine”?

– This is a constant and continuous process. If we talk about the population, we inoculate people with the “honesty vaccine” by raising awareness, explaining that corruption is a terrible evil, and forming an intolerant attitude towards this disease. In this matter, we count on the help of the media, journalists, and bloggers.

In the case of officials and government organizations, things are even more complicated since they are directly potential subjects of corruption. Comprehensive work is carried out in this area. This includes processes ranging from regulating the procedure for receiving and giving gifts to purchasing official cars, furniture, and equipment, maintaining buildings, and implementing government procurement. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the transparency of these processes. Thus, measures are taken to prevent government officials from making unlawful decisions and to prevent abuse of office.

Let’s consider the situation using the example of our organization’s employees. First of all, we strive to create a healthy atmosphere in the team, not only in the office, but also outside it, and to ensure compliance with the ethical standards characteristic of government employees.

Another point: essential decisions in our organization are made collegially. This applies to all processes – from disciplinary measures against employees and incentives to developing new ideas and initiatives, and the final decision is made only after a collegial discussion. 

– How, in your opinion, can the public participate more actively in supporting anti-corruption initiatives?

– To more actively involve the public in the anti-corruption process, it is necessary to arm it. In this case, it is essential to increase its knowledge in this area and ensure the right to information. To do this, it is important to make the activities of government agencies and organizations more open and transparent. Only then we will be able to involve the public in the fight against corruption effectively.

The Agency and partner organizations regularly hold workshops and training sessions for the media, journalists, non-governmental organizations, and young people. Through the media, we disseminate information about cases of corruption and its negative impact on society. In particular, social videos, television and radio programs, and films are created.

The use of public control mechanisms is encouraged. We can see this in the example of investigative journalism. You know that today, public councils are created by each ministry and agency. They also monitor and control the activities of a particular area and organization.

According to the law, public councils should consist mainly of representatives of non-governmental organizations, including the media. Unfortunately, in practice, some government organizations have insufficient representatives from civil society institutions. This issue was critically discussed at a meeting of the National Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Combating Corruption. Today, the composition of public councils under ministries and agencies is being reviewed, and measures are being taken to increase the number of active public representatives.

– What training or educational programs do you propose to raise awareness of corruption?

– As you know, in June this year, the President adopted a resolution to regularly improve civil servants’ and citizens’ knowledge of anti-corruption issues. 

This resolution established that from January 1, 2025, all civil servants will have to continuously improve their knowledge in combating corruption (within three months after hiring; the frequency of advanced training for civil servants is at least once every three years).

For this purpose, it was decided to launch the Virtual Academy for Combating Corruption. On the Academy platform, educational courses will be developed and implemented not only for civil servants, but also for preschoolers, schoolchildren, students, entrepreneurs, journalists, representatives of non-governmental organizations in accordance with their age, field of activity and specialty.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA