Business Ombudsman defends entrepreneur facing pressure after exposing corruption in construction

The Ombudsman’s office announced that the situation concerning Abdusamatov, who publicly criticized corruption in construction, has been placed under its control.

“An entrepreneur will not be punished for expressing critical views. This situation will be regarded by the Business Ombudsman as harassment against the entrepreneur. Every entrepreneur’s right to operate freely and have their rights respected is guaranteed by law,” the statement said.

The Business Ombudsman also called on all state agencies to listen to entrepreneurs’ opinions and work together to find constructive solutions to problems that hinder business activity.

“It should be emphasized that entrepreneurs’ openness and critical remarks help improve government reforms and increase their effectiveness. If an entrepreneur voices concerns for the development of the sector, such statements should not be grounds for criticism or punishment. On the contrary, they should be seen as an opportunity to resolve problems,” the statement added.

Earlier, entrepreneur Usmonjon Abdusamatov spoke about corruption-related “expenses” tied to obtaining construction permits and cadastral documents in Tashkent. Following this, the Ministry of Construction filed a complaint against him with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.