Bishkek, 21 July 1997 (RFE/RL) -- Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Apas Joumagulov has signed a special decree aimed at fighting corruption in government.
According to the decree, made public by the government's press service during the weekend, all state officials are prohibited from buying real estate, cars or other expensive items without special government permission. The ban applies to officials at all levels, from district administrators to ministers.
Observers say the ban may be difficult to enforce. The ban does not prevent officials from buying property in the name of friends of relatives. In addition, the procedure for obtaining permissions has not been made clear.