Anti-Corruption Agency targets unjustified state spending on anti-bribery bonuses

Public backlash has intensified on social media regarding cash rewards given to law enforcement officers simply for declining bribes. Citizens have raised valid concerns, questioning why officials are receiving financial bonuses for upholding the law, given that refusing bribes is already a mandatory part of their professional duties.

The Anti-Corruption Agency shared its official stance on the matter in a statement to Daryo, confirming that it views the concerns raised by public activists as fully justified. The agency explicitly stated that financially rewarding law enforcement personnel for merely fulfilling their basic professional obligations and rejecting bribes is legally inconsistent.

To address this issue, the agency has drafted a Cabinet of Ministers resolution designed to introduce strict preventive restrictions, aiming to eliminate scattered practices and potential abuse in this area. Under the proposed amendments, the incentive measures usually provided to citizens for reporting corruption offenses will no longer apply to law enforcement officers when the incident is connected directly to their primary official duties. The agency emphasized that ensuring the rule of law is a direct functional responsibility of these employees, not an action requiring extra compensation.

Furthermore, a centralized monitoring system will be established through a specialized electronic platform to oversee these processes, effectively putting an end to the unjustified expenditure of state budget funds.

This regulatory response follows a recent widely reported incident in the Navoi region, where a road patrol officer was awarded a cash bonus equivalent to 30 times the base calculating amount – UZS 12,360,000 – for turning down a $1,000 bribe.