Competition Committee Secures Refunds for Two Investors in Shopping Center Project in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Competition Development Committee has helped two Uzbek citizens recover funds they had invested as shared-equity participants in the construction of a shopping center, the agency’s press service reported.

Residents of the Tashkent region, identified as P.M. and M.F., filed a complaint with the regulator against Grand Comfort Building. In 2023, they signed shared-construction agreements with the developer for the Rabad shopping center project and paid 133.6 million soums each, for a total of 267.2 million soums. The shopping center was scheduled to open in February 2025, but construction was later suspended. In August of the same year, the investors requested that the contract be terminated and their funds returned, but received no response.

Following their appeal to the Tashkent Regional Department of the Competition Committee, an order was issued requiring Grand Comfort Building to refund the full amount paid by the citizens.

The company has fully complied with the order and reimbursed the applicants.

The Committee recalled that under Article 19 of the Law “On Consumer Protection,” a contractor is obliged to perform work or provide services within the timeframes, scope, and quality stipulated in the contract. Consumers have the right to withdraw from the contract and demand a refund if it becomes evident that the obligations will not be fulfilled on time.

It was also noted that the Committee has previously filed lawsuits on behalf of 32 citizens, seeking a total of 11 billion soums due to developers’ failure to meet contractual deadlines for project completion.