Building permits spark debate over corruption and bureaucracy in Uzbekistan

Recently, a construction entrepreneur claimed that corruption schemes exist in obtaining building permits, saying “nothing gets done without ‘greetings’” – referring to the practice of giving bribes or informal payments to secure approvals. The Ministry of Construction, however, denied the allegations, stating that the system operates transparently. So, what exactly did the entrepreneur mean by corruption, and why does the ministry reject these claims? Kun.uz explored these questions in a live broadcast with ministry officials and experts.

The discussion featured entrepreneur Usmon Abdusamatov, who spoke at an open dialogue at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, construction expert Abdulaziz Obidov, Aziz Khudoynazarov – head of Tashkent City Construction Department, and Eldorbek Siddiqov – project manager of the “Transparent Construction” national information system. Below is a summary of the interview.

Applications are rejected without justification – entrepreneur

Abdusamatov noted the difficulties of obtaining building permits and related documents. According to him, online applications submitted by developers are often rejected without clear reasons.

“For example, in our case, we bought land through an auction. In other cases, it is purchased from individuals. After forming the cadastral documents and submitting them online for the next stage, applications are sometimes rejected without explanation. These rejections force people to seek connections or fall into corrupt practices, because once land is purchased, costs such as land tax and property tax keep increasing if construction is delayed,” he said.

He added that in the cadastral registration stage, applications are frequently rejected at the last moment with standard phrases like “documents contain discrepancies” or “there are shortcomings,” even though only two documents – the cadastral file and the sale contract – are required at that stage.

Reviewing projects one by one is impossible – Construction Ministry

Responding to the claims, Aziz Khudoynazarov explained that the process involves approvals from fire safety, sanitary, environmental, and other agencies before projects are reviewed by the city commission.

He said Tashkent alone submits 60–70 project designs per week, making it unrealistic to review each one in detail. “If we were to convene commissions every day, we would not have time to work. That is why meetings are scheduled once a week, usually on Fridays,” he noted.

Khudoynazarov also mentioned that removing the “comment” section in architectural-planning tasks is being considered to streamline the process, as necessary issues can be resolved during project approval.

Warnings must be given all at once – expert

Construction expert Abdulaziz Obidov criticized the practice of issuing new remarks each time documents are resubmitted, noting that some projects undergo review 7–8 times. “According to the regulations, all remarks should be given at once,” he said.

Khudoynazarov responded that reviews depend on input from all commission members, though admitted that time and resource constraints sometimes prevent comprehensive evaluations.

Entrepreneurs will form their own permits – Construction Ministry

Since the launch of the “Transparent Construction” system in Tashkent, 22,289 project applications have been submitted. Of these, 5,559 received positive feedback, while the rest were rejected. About 2,300 applications were withdrawn by applicants themselves.

Project manager Eldorbek Siddiqov announced that a new electronic system is being developed to eliminate unjustified rejections by integrating three stages – reconstruction permits, architectural-planning assignments, and commission approval – into a single automated permit.

“Entrepreneurs will no longer have to wait for commission meetings. They will enter their cadastral documents into the system, answer step-by-step questions, and receive a permit instantly if their project complies with requirements. The system will also generate a 3D model of the building and verify compliance with the digital master plan,” Siddiqov explained.

The system is expected to be piloted in Qarshi and Nukus, and later expanded nationwide. According to Siddiqov, Uzbekistan’s master plan is being digitized into a GIS format to ensure full integration.

The discussion also touched upon the importance of adhering to master plans in construction.