The Competition Committee of Uzbekistan has urged citizens not to trust unofficial Telegram bots and their advertisements that promise monetary rewards for voting in the 'Initiative Budget' process.
According to the Committee, recently social media has seen messages from unofficial Telegram bots offering cash prizes for votes in the 'Initiative Budget' project. "This may lead to various interpretations and disputes among the population, as well as undermine the transparency of the process," the statement said.
During investigations, the Committee found that some bloggers were advertising the possibility of voting for a fee through unofficial bots on behalf of third parties. It was noted that such advertisements used the word "official" and symbols resembling the logo of the 'Open Budget' information portal, which could mislead citizens.
The Committee reminded that voting in the 'Initiative Budget' is conducted exclusively through the 'Open Budget' information portal, its Android and iOS mobile apps, and the official Telegram bot. According to current regulations, voting is free of charge, and no material incentives are provided for voters.
The Committee emphasized that using unofficial bots or trusting information disseminated through them could negatively affect the proper organization of the process and lead to legal consequences.
It was reported that monitoring identified several bloggers who distributed advertisements about the possibility of voting for money. Specifically, utkir_shodmonov (Utkir Shodmonov), Mominlive.1 (Abdurasul Ibrohimov), Aslbek_emir (Asilbek Amirov), and jasjannew (Jasur Shodiyev) received warnings and explanations, and appropriate measures were taken to remove the advertisements.
The Competition Committee stated that monitoring of compliance with legal requirements in the 'Initiative Budget' process will continue. The Committee called on citizens to trust only official sources, not fall for suspicious offers, and report such incidents to the authorities.
Notably, the second season of the 'Initiative Budget' for 2026 began on July 15. This is the 11th season since the project's launch. Project proposals are accepted until August 3, voting will take place from August 22 to 31, and winners will be announced on September 1.
Last year, the Ministry of Economy and Finance also warned citizens not to believe promises of monetary rewards for voting on the 'Initiative Budget' platform. The ministry received appeals from hundreds of deceived citizens.
Source: www.gazeta.uz