Senior tax officials dismissed amid criticism over misconduct and budget violations

At a videoconference meeting chaired by the president on January 27, First Deputy Chairman of the State Tax Committee Mubin Mirzaev was relieved of his duties. The presidential press service said Mirzaev’s “indifference and irresponsibility” were cited as key reasons for his dismissal after nearly seven years in senior positions within the committee.

During the meeting, Mirziyoyev highlighted serious shortcomings in tax administration in Tashkent, particularly in the Shaykhontokhur district. He noted that payment discipline at Chorsu Bazaar had not been ensured, while the situation at the Malika trade complex was described as even more alarming.

According to figures presented, nearly 1,500 entrepreneurs operate at the Malika complex, yet only about a quarter are officially registered. Around 25 percent reportedly pay less than UZS 1 million in monthly taxes, while trade revenues worth UZS 600 billion withdrawn via plastic cards in December were concealed.

The president also criticized the Tashkent City Tax Department for meeting its budget targets by forcing excessive payments from compliant businesses. As a result, UZS 876 billion in overpayments were collected from 46,400 enterprises.

Concerns were also raised over growing cases of artificially inflating value-added tax (VAT) payments in order to unlawfully claim refunds from the state budget. Last year alone, criminal cases were opened against 20 tax officials in connection with illegal VAT reimbursements.

In the wake of these findings, the heads of the Tashkent City Tax Department and the Shaykhontokhur District Tax Inspectorate were also dismissed. Shaykhontokhur district tax chief Hojiakbar Mullajonov and Tashkent city tax head Yunusjon Nasimjonov were removed from office, with instructions issued to review their activities and ensure the rule of law.

President Mirziyoyev ordered newly appointed State Tax Committee Chairman Farrukh Pulatov to dismiss all district-level tax inspectors in Tashkent and appoint them as acting officials pending further review. He also tasked the committee’s leadership and the newly appointed deputy chairman for compliance, A. Soliev, with fostering a zero-tolerance environment toward corruption and reassessing the suitability of tax officials for their posts.

The president further instructed the immediate dismissal of A. Ganiev, deputy head of the city department under the Prosecutor General’s Office, for allegedly advising so-called “entrepreneurs” on tax evasion schemes.

Responsibility for combating the shadow economy in the capital was assigned to compliance officials A. Soliev and M. Mirhamidov, who has been appointed deputy mayor of Tashkent for compliance.

Mirzaev, born in 1969, is a graduate of Tashkent State University and the Tashkent Finance Institute, and holds a master’s degree from Japan’s National Institute for Political Studies. His previous roles included heading the monetary policy and economic analysis department at the Central Bank and serving as deputy finance minister. He had held the post of first deputy chairman of the State Tax Committee since December 2018.