Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has issued a firm directive to resolve ongoing issues with liquefied gas supply and ensure stability in food prices, criticizing delays in reforms and poor discipline among government officials and ministry leaders.

During a government meeting held on Monday, the President highlighted significant delays in gas deliveries—up to 60–70 days in some cases—particularly in the Andijan and Surkhandarya regions, where about 70% of all citizen complaints relate to gas shortages.

“If we’re already facing gas shortages in summer heat, how will people cook in winter? This is a final warning to the leadership: resolve this issue within two weeks or step down,” the President stated bluntly.

He also warned of increased electricity consumption in the coming weeks due to expected heatwaves, despite a relatively cool start to the summer. Recalling the recent establishment of the National Energy Efficiency Agency and a 100 billion UZS budget allocation, President Mirziyoyev instructed the Ministry of Energy, regional authorities, and state enterprises to identify households that consume over 500 kWh of electricity per month.

These families will be eligible for government support—such as subsidies or concessional loans—for adopting energy-saving technologies and eco-friendly home upgrades. Additional funding may come from off-budget sources. The goal is to transition at least 100,000 households to energy-efficient consumption by year’s end.

Addressing another critical area, the President criticized the growing number of unenforced court rulings, noting that one in five decisions forwarded to the Enforcement Bureau last year remained unexecuted.

He also focused on rising food prices, including for meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs. Referring to the recent introduction of a cashback mechanism that returns 50% of VAT to consumers to curb inflation and reduce shadow trade, he emphasized the importance of timely payouts.

“Cashback payments must be prompt and without delay. And let this be clear to regional leaders: thanks to this mechanism, prices for essential food products must remain stable. Those who fail to ensure this will be immediately dismissed,” Mirziyoyev warned.