At its June 16 meeting, the Central Election Commission (CEC) approved an action plan and cost estimates for the presidential elections to be held on October 24, the press service of the CEC said.

"According to the State Budget for 2021 Law, the maximum amount of cash allocated for the preparation and holding of this year's presidential elections in Uzbekistan is set at 300 billion soums, or US$ 28 million," said the spokesman to CEC Adham Ibodullayev, adding that the cost estimates have already been developed and agreed with the Ministry of Finance.

According to him, for the targeted and effective use of budgetary funds, the State Department of Financial Control of the Ministry of Finance and its territorial departments carried out a complete inventory of the electoral accessories and goods available in the regions.

“In addition, when making the cost estimates together with the Ministry of Finance, the expenditure of funds was planned by analyzing the targeted and targeted spending of each soum,” said the member of the commission.

Funds allocated to political parties and candidates

15.4 billion soums will be allocated for holding party-wide events and the pre-election campaign of candidates nominated by parties, 3 billion 97 million soums for each candidate.

Adkham Ibodullaev explained that reports on the spending of the funds will be published on the CEC website and in social networks within the specified time frame after the end of the elections themselves. The part unused by the results of the elections will be returned to the state budget.

According to the cost estimates, the funds will be used for the following purposes:

• for the expenses of 14 electoral districts;
• for all polling stations (about 10,800), based on needs, with a flag, emblem, inventory and accessories (secret ballot booths and ballot boxes), handouts and other goods;
• for salaries and compensations to almost 140 thousand workers of electoral districts and precincts;
• for printing ballots and invitations, as well as their transportation to polling stations.

Also, each district election commission will receive 57 million soums, each precinct election commission - 12 million soums.

“Almost 80% of the funds allocated to electoral districts and precincts will be directed to pay salaries, compensations and unified social payments,” Adham Ibodullayev said.

In addition, 11.5 billion soums are planned to be provided to members of election commissions and voters themselves with protective equipment and disinfectant materials. If the epidemiological situation improves by the time of the elections, the rest of the unspent funds will be returned to the budget, the CEC official said.

The Unified Electronic Voter List (UEVL), introduced during the parliamentary elections in 2019, will be improved for the presidential elections. To this end, training courses will be organized for employees of election commissions with the involvement of trainers and monitoring groups, for which another 18 billion soums will be contributed.

20 billion soums will be provided to electoral districts for uninterrupted internet and communication facilities, and 14 billion soums will be allocated for printing election and other campaign materials.

Centralized expenses of the CEC:

• publication of teaching aids on electoral legislation and practice, printing of brochures, posters, preparation of video tutorials, videos and infographics;
• publication of the collection of the Constitution, the Electoral Code and CEC normative legal documents;
• payment of salaries and service costs of republican and regional trainers and monitoring groups;
• provision of buildings of electoral districts and commissions with the necessary equipment;
• printing of voting ballots;
• media coverage of elections and others.