Cabinet of Ministers Increases Starting Prices for Subsoil Usage Rights

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has approved new minimum starting prices for subsoil usage rights offered through online auctions. The relevant resolution dated 30 July was published on the Lex.uz legal portal.

The document provides for an increase in starting prices across various subsoil usage categories. The adjustments are aimed at improving the efficiency of online auctions for rights to mineral resource plots.

In particular, the starting price for artisanal gold and precious metal mining rights has been raised from 35 to 100 Base Calculation Quantities (BCQ) per hectare. In monetary terms, this currently amounts to 41.2 million soums, and 44 million soums following the upcoming BCQ increase on 1 September. Currently, the fee stands at 14.42 million soums.

Starting prices for geological exploration of subsoil plots have also been substantially increased. For hydrocarbon and gold exploration, the minimum starting cost was raised from 6,500 and 2,600 BCQ, respectively, to 10,001 BCQ.

For plots containing other precious and non-ferrous metals, the starting price increased from 1,300 to 5,000 BCQ; for other ore minerals, from 650 to 2,500 BCQ; and for non-metallic minerals, from 36 to 300 BCQ.

The resolution also revised the starting rates for mineral extraction rights. For gold, other ore minerals, and hydrocarbons, the fee rate increased from 0.15% to 0.6% of the value of extracted resources. For non-metallic mineral extraction, a fee linked to the volume of extracted resources was introduced at 0.3%.