Competition Committee flags violations in UZS 23 billion worth of state procurement contracts

According to investigations conducted by the committee, the Youth Affairs Agency, the Innovative Development Agency, and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education failed to comply with anti-monopoly regulations. The scrutiny revealed anti-competitive practices that restricted or potentially restricted fair market competition across 22 different tenders.

A breakdown of the investigations shows that the Youth Affairs Agency violated procurement laws across six tenders valued at more than UZS 9.1 billion. Similarly, the Innovative Development Agency bypassed regulations in six procurement processes worth nearly UZS 8 billion. The Ministry of Preschool and School Education was found to have breached compliance in 10 tenders totaling nearly UZS 6.7 billion.

The antitrust watchdog noted that all three organizations violated Article 29 of the Law on Competition, which explicitly prohibits actions that limit fair market rivalry during bidding processes.

In response to these findings, a special commission under the Competition Committee has initiated formal cases against the purchasing entities. The committee has issued mandatory directives requiring the organizations to eliminate the current violations and ensure such practices do not occur in future procurement cycles.

Furthermore, administrative liability measures have been established against the responsible officials within these government bodies. The relevant documentation and case files have been forwarded to the courts for further legal action.