Uzbekistan president sacks two district heads over ineffective poverty policies PHOTO

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered the dismissal of two district governors and their deputies, while issuing warnings to 20 other regional leaders, citing shortcomings in tackling poverty and creating employment opportunities.

The decision was made during a meeting reviewing the outcomes of the country’s employment and poverty reduction programmes, Caliber.Az reports via Uzbek media.

The officials dismissed include Ilhom Abrorov, head of Denau district in Surkhandarya, and his first deputy, Shukhrat Turakulov, as well as Fayzulla Yusupov, governor of Chirakchi district in Kashkadarya, and his first deputy, Zafar Ergashev.

Denau, considered one of the country’s better-supported districts, saw 1,200 families registered as low-income fail to see any improvement in earnings despite allocated resources. 

In Chirakchi, which received more than 300 billion soums (around $ 25.2 million) in concessional funding, authorities reportedly failed to propose any effective projects for residents.

The Prime Minister has been tasked with reviewing the accountability of leaders in another 20 districts where significant deficiencies in employment creation and social support have been recorded.

Since the start of the year, more than 260 officials in Uzbekistan have been dismissed for failing to meet poverty reduction and employment targets, with over 490 others receiving disciplinary sanctions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev