25 Jan 2023 12:06

Uzbek president signs decree to lay off nearly quarter of country's public servants

TASHKENT. Jan 25 (Interfax) - Upcoming layoffs will affect 17,447 public servants in Uzbekistan, or 24% of their current number, in accordance with a decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the presidential press service told Interfax on Wednesday.

The decree signed by the president on Wednesday is titled "On primary organizational measures for efficient coordination of the activities of the executive branch of governance in the country" and is meant to help implement the country's earlier announced administrative reform, the press service said.

"Ministries and agencies in Uzbekistan will lay off 17,447 full-time managerial and operational staff," according to the document circulated by the press service.

These layoffs will affect 24% of the total number of public servants in Uzbekistan, it said.

Under the decree, the number of deputy ministers and deputy heads of agencies will be decreased to 144 people, while the maximum number of government agencies' employees will stand at 56,573.

The layoffs are expected to help save 1.5 trillion sum, or nearly $130 million, the presidential press service said.

As reported, Mirziyoyev in December announced an administrative reform, which will involve reducing the number of ministries and other agencies from the current 61 to 28 and gradually cutting the number of public servants in the country by 25%-30%.