Anti-Corruption Agency demands transparency in UzPost privatization

The move follows media reports alleging that the privatization of the government’s 29.4% share in UzPost was conducted non-transparently.

According to the Anti-Corruption Agency, under a presidential decree, 29.4% of UzPost shares owned by the state are to be offered through a public auction.

The agency emphasized that, by law, privatization of state assets must be based on principles of transparency, legality, accountability, fair competition, and anti-corruption safeguards.

Specifically:

• Government agencies must ensure free access to information on state property subject to privatization (Article 6 of the Law “On Privatization of State Property”);
• The Agency for Management of State Assets must publish and regularly update a list of enterprises with state ownership of 50% or more on the Open Data Portal (Presidential Decree No. 6247, clause 4);
• State property may not be put up for sale unless information about it has been published on the portal (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 572 of 28 October 2023).

“In accordance with these requirements, following the inquiry, a proposal has been submitted to the Agency for Management of State Assets to ensure strict compliance with current legislation during the sale of state assets – in particular, adherence to the principles of openness and transparency in privatization processes,” the Anti-Corruption Agency said in its statement.

What’s happening with UzPost?

As Kun.uz previously reported, rumors that UzPost had unexpectedly come under the control of a Russian company began circulating on social media and were later picked up by mainstream media outlets both in Uzbekistan and Russia. According to some sources, the buyer could be the online retailer Wildberries. Neither the government (whose main shareholders include the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Agency for Management of State Assets) nor Wildberries has commented on the situation so far.

On 13 October, UzPost issued a statement acknowledging that it was indeed working on attracting investment, adding that any changes involving a “major investor” would be officially announced. However, the company did not explain why its 29% stake was not offered publicly, as required under the 2025 privatization program.

There is also another unresolved issue. Before the alleged privatization deal, ownership of 50 postal branch buildings in Tashkent was transferred from the city administration to UzPost JSC. Around the same time, 25% of the company’s shares were moved from the National Investment Fund to the Agency for Management of State Assets. It remains unclear what portion of the national postal operator’s shares may have been transferred to the Russian company.

Following these reports, Uzum, Wildberries’ main competitor in Uzbekistan, expressed readiness to participate in the privatization process and submitted an official request to DAVA. The company stressed that managing the postal service must consider not only business interests but also national priorities.

Analysts note that any affiliation between UzPost and a major player in the e-commerce market could undermine fair competition. In any case, the deal would require approval from the Competition Committee, which, under law, operates independently from the government to ensure impartiality in such cases. The committee has not yet commented on the situation.