Procurement irregularities totalling nearly 2.5 billion soums have been uncovered across four jurisdictions in Uzbekistan after the Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee reviewed complaints and conducted inspections targeting public buyers in healthcare, education and the arts.
The largest single case centres on Tashkent Region, where the Committee’s regional department examined a contract organised by MEGA TEX MADINABONU LLC to supply comprehensive hot meal services to the Chinaz District Medical Association. The initial contract price stood at nearly 1.2 billion soums. Investigators found actions that restrict, or could potentially restrict, competition, as well as breaches of the legally prescribed procedures for conducting procurement. The Special Commission initiated a case against the Chinaz District Medical Association, issued a binding instruction, and forwarded information on administrative measures against responsible officials to the judicial authorities.
A second Tashkent case arose from a complaint lodged by Monument Stroy LLC against a procurement organised by the Kamoliddin Behzod National Institute of Art and Design, valued at more than 971 million soums. The review confirmed violations of legislative requirements during the procurement process. A case was initiated against the institute as the contracting authority, the Special Commission issued its decision and a binding instruction, and the matter of administrative liability for responsible officials was referred to the courts.
Medical Association and Vocational School Also Cited
In the Republic of Karakalpakstan, a complaint prompted the Committee to examine a procurement worth 250 million soums organised by the Konlikul District Medical Association. Violations were established, leading the Committee to initiate a case against the association and issue an instruction to cancel the procurement outright — a more severe remedy than a corrective binding order. Administrative referrals against responsible officials were sent to the judicial authorities.
In Samarkand Region, the regional department reviewed a procurement by Paxtachi District Vocational School No. 1 for the purchase of construction materials worth nearly 70 million soums. The review found breaches of the Law on Competition. The Special Commission declared the procurement invalid and issued a binding instruction to prevent recurrence; administrative referrals followed.
Pattern of Referrals to Judicial Authorities
Across all four cases the Committee followed a consistent enforcement sequence: establish violations, initiate a formal case against the contracting authority, issue either a cancellation instruction or a binding corrective order, and separately refer the question of administrative sanctions against named officials to the courts. That last step is significant — it separates institutional liability from personal accountability and places the determination of individual penalties with the judiciary rather than the regulator.
The cases span public healthcare procurement in two regions, vocational education infrastructure spending and a high-profile cultural institution, suggesting the Committee’s monitoring is not confined to a single sector. The combined value of the four procurements under scrutiny approaches 2.5 billion soums, underlining the scale of public funds at risk when competitive tendering rules are circumvented or ignored.
