Uzbekistan Implements Online Control of Preschool Institution Expenditures

Uzbekistan has proposed the implementation of a digital system for monitoring retail promotions and discounts. This system will allow consumers to verify actual price reductions and examine the terms of promotional offers.

The initiative followed checks conducted by the Competition Committee. During the analysis of 116 advertising campaigns in 58 retail stores and service points, 65 violations were identified.

The Committee found that the violations included failure to provide promised prizes, manipulation of draw results, provision of misleading information about discounts, and concealment of certain restrictions in advertisements.

Specific cases of violations

In the Andijan region, the company Water Life Mineral failed to hand over prizes totaling 60 million soms to three participants under its 'Orzu Ushalsin' promotion. The Competition Committee initiated an investigation, recognized the violation of consumer rights, and issued a mandatory order to the company.

In the Namangan region, the company Namangan Avtotexkhizmat canceled the results of a Chevrolet Cobalt prize draw and transferred the car to another person. The company explained this by stating it could not contact the original winner due to a phone number error. Following intervention from the Competition Committee, the car was returned to the rightful owner.

Inspectors also discovered violations related to advertised discounts. At the Baldini store in Namangan, a 50% discount was advertised, but the goods lacked price tags. At the IDEA store in Bukhara, customers were offered discounts of 20%, 50%, and 60%, but these reductions applied only to monthly payments, not to the full purchase price of the goods.

In the Samarkand region, Samarkand Avtotexkhizmat advertised household appliances as gifts for buyers of Chevrolet cars. However, this promotion was only available to clients who paid the full price of the car upfront, excluding buyers using installment plans and legal entities. The Committee identified violations of advertising requirements, retail trade rules, and consumer protection legislation, issuing the company a directive to strictly comply with the norms.

In the Kashkadarya region, inspectors expressed concern regarding IDEA's advertisement promoting the purchase of smartphones on installment. These announcements did not specify the quantity of goods covered by the promotion, their minimum price over the previous 30 days, or the specific item a buyer could receive under the '1+1' offer.

Results and next steps

According to the Competition Committee, 59 out of 65 identified violations, or 90.7%, were resolved after receiving clarifications and warnings from the enterprises. Procedures were initiated against four companies. As a result of price recalculations, consumers were reimbursed approximately 250 million soms.

To strengthen supervision, the Committee is preparing proposals for digital tools that will allow customers to check promotional offers and advertised discounts. One of the proposed measures is for consumers to be able to scan QR codes near products to see their previous prices and determine if the advertised discount reflects a real reduction. Furthermore, businesses may be required to pre-register promotion terms through a special electronic system and maintain digital records of price changes. These mechanisms will enable regulators and consumers to compare advertised offers with actual sales conditions and identify instances where discounts do not correspond to a real price reduction. These proposals are currently under development and have not yet come into force.

Uzbekistan intends to implement annual psychological screenings for teachers and students, establish new consultative and research bodies in the field of education, and organize a call center to receive citizens' appeals.

These measures are enshrined in presidential decrees adopted on October 19, 2026. According to these decisions, psychological checks will be conducted at least once per academic year for teachers, preschool educators, schoolchildren, children in educational institutions, and university students.

In accordance with Decree No. PP-379 'On measures for scientifically based development of psychological services in the continuous education system,' the new system will be introduced in stages. Starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, screenings will begin in preschool and general secondary educational institutions. From the 2027/2028 academic year, they will be expanded to cover specialized secondary, vocational, and higher educational institutions.

An Institute of Psychology will be established at the Educational and Scientific Center of Psychology of the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan. This institute will report to the Ministry of Education and Science. Starting January 1, 2027, the institute will launch laboratories specializing in digital psychology and artificial intelligence, educational and psychological assistance, as well as issues of psychological health and prevention.

Screenings will be carried out through a special electronic platform, and measures must be taken to ensure the confidentiality of personal data during information processing. Analysis results will be processed using artificial intelligence, after which participants will be categorized into one of three groups: psychologically resilient individuals, those needing psychological support, and those requiring active psychological assistance.

Psychologists from educational institutions will be assigned to participants in the second group, while regional mentor-psychologists will work with those requiring active support. The decree also provides incentives for specialists: psychologists engaged as instructors for advanced training courses under the cascading model will receive a salary supplement of 20% at their main workplace during the course period.

Furthermore, 150 mentor-psychologists who have achieved significant success in promoting psychological resilience during the academic year will receive a one-time award equivalent to twenty minimum wages. Professional development will become mandatory for employees of psychological services in educational institutions at least once every five years.

Another set of reforms concerns the structure of the Ministry of Education and Science and its interaction with the public. The Ministry will create an outsourced call center to receive requests, complaints, suggestions, and objections from citizens, ensuring their prompt review and referral to relevant organizations. A feedback system will also be introduced to maintain constant dialogue with the public and employees of the education and science sectors, as well as to collect and analyze data on the quality and accessibility of educational services and identify existing problems.

Under the Minister's leadership, a Public Council for Education will be established. Its composition will include students, university students, parents, teachers, and employer representatives. The ministry's council will consist of 15 people, including the Minister, deputy ministers, heads of subordinate agencies, and rectors of leading universities, scientists, and teachers.

By February 1, 2027, the Minister will be granted exclusive permission to recruit personnel for the ministry's central office through direct interviews. Additionally, a special working group will be formed under the Presidential Administration to develop the Strategy for Human Capital Development and Continuous Education.

The Ministry of Education and Science will also establish the Human Capital Development Fund and the Center for Strategic Research and Evaluation in Education and Science. Furthermore, the ministry will organize the work of the Agency for Knowledge and Qualification Assessment. Concurrently, the Center for Education Development under the Ministry of Preschool and School Education will cease its activities.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Uzbekistan plans to launch a call center designed to receive appeals, suggestions, and complaints regarding the quality of education. The operation of this center will be outsourced, and incoming appeals are scheduled to be promptly verified and forwarded to the relevant structures.

In addition to launching the call center, the ministry will introduce a new feedback system aimed at both the population and workers in the field of education and science. This system will allow for the collection and analysis of data on the availability and level of educational services, as well as the identification of existing problems.

To strengthen public control, a Public Council on Education Issues will be established, which will function under the minister. This council will include representatives of parents, students, university students, teachers, and employers, ensuring that not only specialized experts but also direct consumers of educational services participate in discussions on educational matters.

The structure of the ministry itself will also undergo changes. The department's collegium will consist of fifteen people, including the minister, his deputies, heads of agencies under the ministry, rectors of leading universities, as well as scientists and educators.

Until February 1, 2027, the minister will have the option, in exceptional cases, to hire employees into the central apparatus of the department through personal interviews.

In parallel, a special working group is being formed under the Presidential Administration. Its task is to develop a national concept for the strategy of human capital development and lifelong learning, which will be chaired on a voluntary basis by entrepreneur Zafar Khashimov.

New structures will also appear under the ministry: the Human Capital Development Fund, as well as the Center for Strategic Research and Evaluation in Education and Science. The activities of the Agency for Knowledge and Qualification Assessment will be organized. Meanwhile, the Center for Educational Development under the Ministry of Preschool and School Education will cease its operations.