Nearly 1,800 enterprises regain electricity payment privileges

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Office of the Authorized Person under the President of Uzbekistan for the Protection of the Rights and Legitimate Interests of Entrepreneurs (Business Ombudsman) has announced the restoration of legally prescribed electricity payment privileges for 1,798 enterprises in the textile and garment-knitting industries.

The investigation was triggered by an appeal from the Namangan-based company M. G. Following this request, the Business Ombudsman's office conducted a large-scale review of the application practices regarding the sector-specific privileges currently in force.

The agency recalled that, in accordance with a presidential decree adopted in January 2023, textile and knitting enterprises are exempt from the requirement to make advance payments for electricity a month in advance.

The conducted analysis revealed that the majority of enterprises continued to pay for electricity under the prepayment system despite the preferences provided by law. Following the verification, the Business Ombudsman's office submitted a conclusion to cancel the unjustified charges.

As a result, 1,798 companies received the privileges they were entitled to, and groundlessly accrued charges totaling 84.7 billion sum were written off.

Furthermore, administrative protocols were drawn up against 109 officials under Article 241-6 of the Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Liability, which establishes liability for the unlawful refusal to grant or the failure to apply legally established privileges and preferences.

The announcement also noted that in June, the Business Ombudsman's office initiated a study into the situation involving the forced dismantling of signboards in Tashkent. The agency additionally drew attention to cases where electricity was disconnected when entrepreneurs failed to comply with certain demands, stressing the necessity of adhering strictly to the law when enforcing regulatory measures.