Uzbekistan will require privatized social infrastructure facilities, including kindergartens, schools and healthcare institutions, to retain their original operational purpose, according to Sohibjon Murodov, Director of the State Assets Management Agency.
The clarification follows a presidential decree signed on August 28, 2026, which provides for the privatization of thousands of state-owned enterprises and facilities, including properties previously used for education, healthcare and other social services. The inclusion of social infrastructure facilities in the privatization program has raised concerns on social media about whether buyers could demolish existing buildings and construct properties intended for different purposes.
In an interview with Daryo, Murodov addressed these concerns and explained the conditions under which social facilities would be transferred to private ownership.
According to Murodov, the main requirement for privatizing social infrastructure facilities is that their designated operational purpose must remain unchanged. This means that properties previously used as kindergartens must continue to serve that function after privatization. Similar restrictions apply to schools, healthcare facilities and higher education institutions.
"The primary condition for selling any social sector facility to the private sector is the preservation of its operational purpose. For instance, it is stipulated that only a kindergarten may be built on the site of a former kindergarten," Murodov said.
He acknowledged that concerns about the future use of these properties are linked to previous cases in which buildings serving other purposes were constructed on former kindergarten sites. According to the agency director, such developments occurred approximately 10 to 20 years ago and have contributed to public concerns about the current privatization program.
"The fact that other types of buildings were constructed on former kindergarten sites 10 to 20 years ago naturally gave rise to these concerns. However, our fundamental, non-negotiable condition is that the operational purpose must be maintained," he stated.
Murodov emphasized that the same requirement applies to properties previously used by schools, medical institutions and universities. The agency director acknowledged that public concerns about the privatization of social facilities are justified. He noted that similar concerns exist within the State Assets Management Agency, particularly regarding the need to ensure that privatized properties continue to serve their designated functions.
According to Murodov, the agency considers it necessary to clearly establish the operational purpose of each social infrastructure facility included in the privatization program. He also announced plans to introduce subsequent oversight measures to monitor compliance with these requirements. The measures are intended to ensure that properties sold to private investors are used in accordance with the conditions established during privatization.
Murodov also clarified that the social infrastructure facilities included in the August 28 decree are not currently operating. The properties designated for privatization have become vacant, often following the relocation of public institutions to newly constructed buildings. He cited kindergartens as an example, explaining that an older facility may become available for sale after a new state kindergarten is constructed and operations are transferred to the new premises.
"None of the social facilities designated for privatization in the decree are currently in active operation. Take a kindergarten, for example: a new state-run kindergarten was built. The facility was relocated, leaving the old building vacant," Murodov explained.
He stated that properties are included in the privatization program because they are no longer being used for their previous operations.
"The property was put up for sale solely because it had become vacant. There is not a single operational facility on the list. If there happens to be one that is currently active, it is likely in the process of relocating," he added.
According to Murodov, the privatization program does not envisage selling currently functioning social institutions without addressing their relocation. The August 28 presidential decree provides for the privatization of thousands of state-owned enterprises and facilities, including unused social infrastructure properties. The State Assets Management Agency has identified the preservation of the original operational purpose as a principal condition for transferring these facilities to private ownership.
Murodov previously stated that state-owned real estate that remains unused does not generate benefits. The agency's position is that vacant social infrastructure properties can be transferred to private ownership while retaining their designated functions. The agency also plans to establish oversight measures to ensure compliance with the operational requirements attached to privatized properties.