The government-owned stake in Uzagroexportbank was sold to a private company without a public tender. According to the State Assets Management Agency (the message appeared on December 28 on the website without publications in social networks), a bid was received from the foreign enterprise Support Level to acquire a 100% stake in Uzagroexportbank in worth of $5 million “with the conditions of a one-time payment of the redemption value, increasing the authorized capital of the bank by at least 29 billion soums, as well as making investments in worth at least 50 million dollars for the development of banking infrastructure, the introduction of technologies and banking products.

Tax Free counters was launched in test mode at the airports of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana and Urgench on January 2.

From January 9, the start time of classes at 31 universities in Tashkent will change, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education said.

The State Assets Management Agency (SAMA) announced the sale of 100% of the government stake in Humo Air to a Swiss investment company ValleyRoad Capital S.A. The deal topped 27.2 billion soums (about $2.42 million).

Officials of the Afghan Railways visited Uzbekistan on December 26-30, in Termez, and met with their Uzbek counterparts to discuss the ways to further advance bilateral cooperation.

The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) has suspended the registration certificate of Marion Biotech Pvt. Ltd, the producer of the cough syrup linked to the deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan.

The new composition of the government was approved in Uzbekistan. 32 new appointments were made in one day. 11 of the ministers of the previous government left their posts. Some of them moved to other ministries, and some of them became deputy ministers due to the merging of the ministries under their leadership with other ministries.

Sevara Ubaydullayeva, chief of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the Ministry of Health, at a press briefing on Thursday explained the reasons for the sacking of seven medical workers, including the chief physician of the children's multidisciplinary medical center in the Samarkand province, Professor Mamatkul Azizov.

Construction of gas pipeline which will improve gas supply to the Ferghana Valley has begun. New 95-kilometer Yangiyer-Akhangaran gas pipeline is being built as part of the gas transmission system modernization program.

On Friday, in Karakalpakstan, Khorezm province and in the evening in Bukhara, Navai provinces, light precipitation is possible in some areas - rain and snow, precipitation is not expected in the rest of Uzbekistan, the Uzhydromet reported.

The Uzbek authorities have suspended the sale of all drugs manufactured by the Indian firm Marion Biotech. Among them are Cinepar, Nolgripp, Travamax and others, the spokeswoman to the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry Kizlarkhon Begmatova.

Vladimir Norov was sacked from the Foreign Minister role due to his moving to another job. The decree was signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, his spokesman Sherzod Asadov said.

Since 1991, the share of the urban population in Uzbekistan has increased by 10.6%, the State Statistics Committee said on Thursday.

On December 29, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the National Supreme Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Another syrup produced by an Indian firm Marion Biotech is said to have been withdrawn from sale after 19 children died after taking Doc-1 Max cough syrup produced by the said firm.

The chief physician of the children's multidisciplinary medical center of the Samarkand province, Professor Mamatkul Azizov, who reported the death of children after taking the Doc-1 Max cough syrup produced by the Indian Marion Biotech, was fired, the Ministry of Health said.

Overground metro to be erected in Andijan, said president Mirziyoyev at a meeting with teachers. It is noted that the overground metro will be erected from downtown Andijan to the New Andijan microdistrict.

Local executive power bill has been put for public input. For more accountability of the local executive body to the local representative body, it is proposed to introduce the procedure of a no confidence vote to the mayor.

On December 28, at the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, the Deputy Minister/chief of the negotiating group on Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO, Badriddin Abidov, met with the Permanent Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Uzbekistan, Kevin Ross.

Experimental batch of JET A-1 aviation fuel for gas turbine engines has been received at the Ferghana Oil Refinery (FOR), the Ministry of Energy reported.