Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In 2024, Uzbekistan’s Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Protection initiated over 400 cases against natural monopolies, the committee’s press service reported.

Most investigations focused on cases of unjustified price increases by enterprises and measures to prevent such violations. The committee also prioritized consumer rights protection and the regulation of natural monopolies.

As a result of inspections, orders were issued for refunds and payment recalculations affecting more than 200,000 consumers. In total, approximately 50 billion soums were returned to citizens.

For instance, Uzsuvta’minot was instructed to reimburse consumers 7 billion soums overpaid due to inflated tariffs. Additionally, Regional Electric Networks and its branches were found to have generated 5 billion soums in unjustified revenue.

In February 2025, the committee discovered that Elkimyo-Suvta’minot, operating in Navoi region, had raised water supply tariffs without prior notice, illegally collecting over 200 million soums.