Uzbekistan decides to replace 2000 officials with artificial intelligence

The Uzbek authorities are preparing to lay off more than 2,000 officials by the end of October, which will result from the introduction of artificial intelligence systems in the state apparatus. This follows from decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

By the end of October, 2,141 staff positions will be cut in the executive branch of Uzbekistan.

The decision was made as part of large-scale reforms aimed at modernizing public administration. These include the introduction of modern digital technologies and market mechanisms in the work of government agencies, and the involvement of the private sector in the performance of government functions.

The purpose of the changes is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the republican executive bodies and reduce administrative costs.

The Tax Committee of Uzbekistan will see the largest number of staff cuts – 498. The Ministry of Water Resources will be left without 224 staff positions, the Ministry of Agriculture – without 200, and the Ministry of Justice will cut 197 officials.

In the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, 176 staff positions will be cut, and in the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction – 163.

In addition, the number of deputy heads will be almost halved: from 11 to seven in committees, from 12 to six in agencies, and from 13 to seven in inspectorates.

The Ministry of Employment and the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan are ordered to facilitate the employment of workers who have been laid off, the decree says.

Administrative reform in Uzbekistan started in December 2022. Among other things, it was planned to reduce the staff of all ministries by 30%.

In January 2023, the President ordered a reduction in the total number of employees in ministries and agencies to 56,573. As a result, government agencies lost about 17,500 staff members, or 24% of their total number.

By November 2024, the number of managerial staff of state agencies had decreased by another 2,949.

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