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Economy

Uzbekistan's asset agency puts $145 million of privatisation money in the budget and an $851 million Mobiuz deal on a year-end clock

The deputy director of the State Assets Management Agency, Alisher Miraliev, told Spot at the Cbonds capital-market conference on Thursday that the $65 million paid for Humo and the $80 million paid for SamAuto have reached the budget in full, that the consortium which won Mobiuz is negotiating a contract to close by the end of 2026, and that Asakabank may be the first state bank sold, though not this year.

Uzbekistan's asset agency puts $145 million of privatisation money in the budget and an $851 million Mobiuz deal on a year-end clock

The two closed sales are the agency's proof of payment. Anadolu Isuzu of Turkey bought 75.2% of SamAuto for $80 million in December 2025 with a commitment to invest another $80 million in the plant; Paynet bought 100% of the National Interbank Processing Centre, the operator of the Humo payment system, for $65 million, or 840.3 billion soums, at the end of December 2024. SamAuto's money was transferred in December, Miraliev said, and the two sums together are $145 million.

Mobiuz is the open file. A consortium led by the American McKim and Company won the tender and signed a memorandum in June; it is to pay $351 million for 100% of the operator and put $500 million into the network, $851 million in all. An agreement is signed, the price is agreed, and the talks now are over the contract's terms, Miraliev said, with the aim of signing by the end of 2026. Management passes to the buyer only after the contract and the first payment; the law allows the shares to move in stages as the money arrives.

Asakabank may be the first state bank to go, though not this year. The mandate for selling the banks sits with the ministry of economy and finance, Miraliev said; consultants are working; the process will most likely not be completed by the end of this year. April's presidential measures set the path: 4 non-core projects worth 382.5 billion soums, about $32 million, and the property of a former farm-machinery plant pass to the agency; the budget adds $95 million to the bank's capital; a debt of almost 2 trillion soums, about $170 million, to the finance ministry may be converted into equity; the government was to prepare by September a proposal to sell 15% to the EBRD; Big Four consultants may draft the contract.

The two closed sales are the agency's proof of payment.

Two more names came with a status. UzAuto Motors, 99.7% of it, and 100% of UzAuto Motors Powertrain are on offer with Alvarez & Marsal as adviser, the tender's date depending on the adviser's readiness and investors' interest, and priority to an investor from the car industry who can add money, capacity and models. UzPost is not for sale: reports that it was, the agency said, were only rumours.

The ledger lands a week after Azerbaijan's ABB paid $139.5 million for 51% of Davr Bank and 5 days after a list of 62 enterprises to be sold as unified packages was reported. What it does not yet carry is a date for the first bank, or a buyer's name for UzAuto Motors.