Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026" approved the State Program for 2022.

According to the document, the markets for energy resources and natural gas in Uzbekistan will be liberalized with the establishment of guarantees of social protection.

The program envisages the introduction of social consumption norms to attract more private investment in the energy sector and protect the poor.

By April, a draft resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan will be developed, aimed at creating a healthy competitive environment in the energy sector, creating equal opportunities for all participants and introducing transparent pricing mechanisms.

The monopoly on the supply of electricity will be abolished, market mechanisms will be introduced in the industry with the establishment of guarantees of social protection.

In particular, it is planned to:

1. Establish a separate joint-stock company that acts as a single buyer. To this end, National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan will be released from the operation of main electric networks and endowed with the function of a “single buyer”;

2. Establish basic requirements for attracting private operators to JSC "Regional Electric Networks";

3. Uzbekhydroenergo is instructed to attract private investors to the implementation of small and medium investment projects.

In accordance with the above, the following will be created: an independent regulatory body for the competitive electricity and natural gas market - the Regulator; an enterprise acting as a single buyer; National dispatch center.

According to the State Program, based on the study of international experience, proposals will be submitted to the government on the introduction of social norms for the consumption of energy resources by April 2022 to protect the low-income population.

In addition, a new version of the draft Law “On the Electricity Industry” (until September 2022) and the draft Law “On Natural Gas” (until October 2022), as well as the draft government decree on the approval of the Grid Code (until June 2022) will be developed.

he “Code of Rules for Distribution Grids” will be approved (until October 2022), which includes regulatory documents in the field of technical regulation, including the activities of distribution grids, connecting consumers to the grid, defining the rights and obligations of the parties;

Draft government decrees “On market regulation” (until October 2022) will be prepared to regulate the activities of electricity market participants.