Restaurants in Uzbekistan Seek Eco-Tariff Reform

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During an open dialogue with entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan’s public catering sector, the issue of environmental payment calculations applied to cafes and restaurants was raised.

Under current regulations, compensation payments for exceeding environmental waste standards are calculated using an increasing coefficient that can reach up to 20 times the base rate. This practice also applies to catering establishments, despite the fact that their activities are not related to industrial production.

In some cases, additional costs for businesses reach between 80 million and 100 million soums, which industry representatives say creates a significant financial burden.

Entrepreneurs note that the operational nature of cafes and restaurants differs substantially from industrial facilities, and therefore they consider the application of similar coefficients to be unjustified.

As a proposal, a revision of the existing coefficients for catering enterprises is being discussed. In particular, it has been suggested either to reduce the multiplier rates or to exclude their application for small establishments located on the ground floors of residential buildings with an area of up to 200 square meters.

It is also noted that such establishments undergo mandatory approval procedures before commencing operations, including inspections by authorized bodies covering gas supply, electricity, fire safety, and other engineering and technical requirements, after which they receive permits to operate.