Extravagant festival costs Andijan 10 billion UZS amid rising budget deficit; governor Abdurahmonov disparages journalists

From July 29-31, the II International Pop Music Festival "Dunyo Sadolari" was held in the city of Khanabad, Andijan.

This year's event also featured concert programs with stars from Uzbekistan and international pop music. For instance, at the opening ceremony on July 29, Hamdam Sobirov, Yulduz Usmonova, Kazakh artist Dianella, and Jah Khalib participated, while the gala concert on July 30 featured Shohruhkhon, and foreign artists Megan and Jony.

On the final day of the event, July 31, the festival concluded with performances by Rayhon Ganieva, India's DJ Sukhbir, and the world star Inna.

Additionally, within the framework of the international festival, exhibitions and cultural programs were organized throughout the city of Khanabad, including hot-air balloon services for guests wishing to tour the city.

Considering the costs of bringing in artists, organizing exhibitions, and of course, the hot air balloon services, it can be assumed that the festival was quite expensive.

How Did the "Dunyo Sadolari" Festival Go?

Another memorable aspect of the Andijan festival was connected to journalists and the regional governor, Shuhrat Abdurahmonov, during a dinner.

The point is that a group of journalists invited to cover the festival was not allowed into the event by internal affairs officers. This can also be seen in several videos circulating on social media.

Later that evening, at a dinner supposedly aimed at "softening" the situation, regional governor Shuhrat Abdurahmonov used rude language towards the media representatives and asked them not to write negative materials.

"If you are a sensible person, consider me your closest friend. Do not seek to find flaws in my words. Do not waste your time looking for bad things. You won't achieve anything anyway... No matter how much you think, your hair will turn gray, and nothing else will happen," he said.

A reporter from the "Mening Yurtim" TV channel, who was directly involved in this meeting with the governor, noted on the "Markaziy Studiya" program that all these words were addressed specifically to the journalists. However, in a comment to Daryo.uz, the press service of the Andijan regional government denied this.

Extravagance Costing 10 billion UZS

A reporter from the " Mening Yurtim " TV channel emphasized that significant fees were paid for world and national pop stars to perform.

For example, Romanian singer Inna was paid $130,000, Yulduz Usmonova $12,000, and Hamdam Sobirov and Rayhon Ganieva around $7,000 each.

According to a source who worked within the regional government system, the total cost of "Dunyo Sadolari" was 10 billion UZS, covered by the local budget. This amounts to almost $800,000.

Andijan: The Region with the Largest Budget Deficit

Kun.uz attempted to contact the regional government press service with questions about the festival's expenses and funding sources but was unable to reach them.

It should be noted that Andijan is the region with the highest budget deficit in the republic. According to a report on local budget execution prepared by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in the first half of 2024, Andijan region's revenues amounted to 1.7442 trillion UZS, while expenditures were 3.1143 trillion UZS.

In simple terms, the region's budget deficit in the first six months of this year was 1.3701 trillion UZS, the worst indicator in the republic.

For reference, in the first seven months of 2024, the republic's budget revenues amounted to 137.6 trillion UZS, while expenditures were 174.1 trillion UZS, resulting in a deficit of 36.5 trillion UZS. The inefficient use of budget funds for events like the one mentioned above contributes to the expansion of the deficit and the increase in external debt.