Foreign Company in Samarkand Region Caught Illegally Extracting Non-Metallic Minerals

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The State Environmental Control Inspectorate of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change conducted an inspection of the foreign enterprise “S.I.” in the Bulungur district of Samarkand region.

The inspection revealed that on 25 November 2024, the Ministry of Mining and Geology held an electronic auction for geological exploration at the “Jomboy-3” site, covering 11.3 hectares located 7.7 km northwest of the district center.

The auction was won by the company “S.I.,” which was issued a geological exploration license on 27 November 2024.

However, the company violated the terms of the license and auction by engaging in illegal extraction of non-metallic minerals without the required permits.

Measurements show that the enterprise extracted 50,859.25 cubic meters of loess deposits.

These actions violate Articles 18–48 of the Law “On Nature Protection” and Article 34 of the Law “On Subsoil.”

The environmental damage, calculated in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 666 of 23 November 2022, amounts to 7.37 billion soums.

The inspection materials have been submitted to the General Prosecutor’s Office for legal assessment and appropriate action.