Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In 2023-2024, government agencies and institutions of Uzbekistan purchased over 3,700 smartphones for a total amount of about 8 billion soums, Kun.uz reported with reference to the report of the Treasury Service Committee under the Ministry of Economy and finance of Uzbekistan.

According to the report, in 2023, government agencies concluded 289 contracts for the purchase of 3,402 expensive smartphones, the total cost of which amounted to 6.64 billion soums. 

These purchases by budgetary organizations were carried out despite the order of Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov from 5 January 2023. In accordance with this order, government agencies were instructed to temporarily suspend expenses for the acquisition of fixed assets at the expense of budgetary and extrabudgetary funds.

According to the report, last year government organizations purchased an average of 12 smartphones per contract, and the average cost of one phone was 1.95 million soums.

The most significant purchases were made in Karakalpakstan, where 796 mobile phones were purchased for 1.48 billion soums, in the Jizzakh region - 658 phones for 948.9 million soums and in the Fergana region - 519 phones for 581.9 million soums.

This year, contracts worth 1.36 billion soums were concluded and payments were made in 60 cases for the purchase of 301 phones at the expense of local budgets.

The Treasury Service Committee presented the results of the study to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov, inviting the Financial Control Inspectorate to study the situation in more detail.

In January-April the state budget deficit of Uzbekistan amounted to 25.5 trillion. soums, follows from data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan.