TASHKENT

Uzbekistan’s State Assets Management Agency (UzSAMA) is extending an auction to sell off two mountain resorts, including one that belonged to Gulnara Karimova, the jailed daughter of late President Islam Karimov.

The luxury villa drew public attention when Uzbekistan’s government put it for sale in April.

The agency said the date was pushed back to make the bidding process “more transparent and competitive”. No starting price was listed for the property.

The property was confiscated from Ms Karimova, the eldest daughter of the former president, who ruled the country for 27 years until his death in 2016.

The roughly 40-hectare estate near a picturesque mountain lake – about 90 km from the capital Tashkent – has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a dance hall, a wine cellar, an amphitheatre, three large halls adorned with pianos and a tennis court, among other features.

The government agency in charge sees the property as a potential hotel holding.

“In order to ensure a more transparent and competitive bidding process, as well as create favourable conditions for bidders, we announce the extension of the deadline for submission of applications until 18:00 Tashkent time on July 1, 2021,” UzSAMA said. The previous deadline had been April 30.

Another property in the same area – the former Beldersay Oromgohi hotel – was also delayed for sale.

Popularly known among Uzbeks as “Googoosha”, Gulnara Karimova was placed under house arrest in 2014 – even when her father was still in power. In 2020, she was moved to prison for violating the terms of her parole – including use of the internet, telephone communications and leaving her residence without permission.

The five-year term for violations of her house arrest was not all. She received another nine years on new convictions of embezzlement and extortion.

In April, the government put several state-owned real estate properties up for sale. Included were five commercial properties in Tashkent.

The Central Asian country’s government has taken radical steps to improve its investment climate after more than two decades of economic isolation. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, once prime minister under Karimov and elected president in 2016, has made foreign investment a top priority.

Mirziyoyev issued a decree in October 2020 ordering the full or partial privatisation of over 600 state-owned companies and properties. The list includes state companies in the energy, mining and chemical sectors, as well as Uzbekistan Airways.