World Bank Document

Cross Thematic Area: Governance 

 

21. 

Activities related to improved governance, increased transparency and access to 

information have gained traction, but at a smaller scale and at a slower pace than expected. 

Prior to the current CPS period, the World Bank engagements in these areas were almost non-

existent. In 2012, the Bank undertook a Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) 

Assessment to provide the Government with an integrated assessment of the public finance 

management system, as well as suggestions on reform planning and implementation. The Bank 

also initiated collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

(OECD), which supports Uzbekistan’s implementation of the Istanbul Declaration Anti-

Corruption Reforms in the Central Asia.  Following these engagements, government institutions 

are now actively collaborating with the Bank teams on developing a Public Procurement Strategy, 

which will lead to development of a new Public Procurement Law. However, the governance 

agenda in Uzbekistan faces considerable challenges, as the country is continuously ranked in the 

bottom 10 percent in the Worldwide Governance Indicators list. In addition, the engagement of 

citizens is still limited, and access to macroeconomic and microeconomic data, including 

household surveys, is poor; this adversely affects monitoring as well as the scope of technical 

assistance and analytical work.