The State Assets Management Agency of Uzbekistan has addressed public concern regarding the inclusion of operational kindergartens in the country's privatization list. During a press conference, Agency Head Sahibjon Muradov acknowledged that Kindergarten No. 58 in Tashkent's Yakkasaray district, accommodating 120 children, has been slated for the privatization program.

Muradov attempted to justify the decision by claiming that the existing structure is extremely outdated and structurally unsound. He stated that a new, larger kindergarten with 720 seats is currently being constructed in the same neighborhood using state budget funds, and children will be transferred there before the old property is auctioned off under the condition that a private educational facility must be established on its site.

The agency head also addressed another controversial case involving a kindergarten in the Kashkadarya region, which is currently on the balance sheet of a major oil and gas enterprise. According to Muradov, the facility is already operated by a private entrepreneur through a lease agreement, and privatization would merely relieve the state company from maintaining non-core assets while mandating the continuation of its educational function.

Meanwhile, independent municipal data indicates that preschool enrollment rates have actually declined across several districts in Tashkent over recent years. While local authorities express skepticism over transferring state educational land for private developments, the broader state regime aims to drastically expand educational capacity by 2030 amidst mounting infrastructure deficits.

Source: www.gazeta.uz