UNDP issues US$65,000 to create electronic billing system for public utility services of Tashkent

The representatives of the UNDPUzbekistan discussed with the Tashkent city Administration the ways of cooperation on improving the public utility infrastructure of the capital.

In accordance with the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan #337 dated from November 30, 2012 “On measures to further develop and improve the systems of water supply and sewerage of Uzbekistan for 2013-2015”, and Protocol Resolution of Uzbek Government #6 dated from 10 January 2013, the Tashkent city Administration was instructed to develop a pilot project “Unified e-billing system to account the customers of public utility services, heat, water, gas and electricity supply, and sanitation” in collaboration with the UNDP Local Governance Support: Participation and Partnership Project.

The electronic billing system of public utilities is a modern process of automating services and accounting the public utility consumers of all categories. This system allows collecting and analyzing the information on the consumption of utility services, determining their tariffs, billing the customers and providing two-way communication with them.

During the meeting at Tashkent city Administration, the parties exchanged views on gradual implementation of the Governmental Resolution and joint formulation of the conceptual framework of billing system, as well as discussed the mutual interaction on the development of the said pilot project.

UNDP Uzbekistan and Tashkent city Administration agreed upon on holding regular working meetings to coordinate the accomplishment of the given tasks. Following the first round of working meetings with the representatives of the Association for Territorial Public and Operational Services of Tashkent city Administration, a working group comprising of experts from municipal utility companies (City Electricity System Operator, City Gas Department, Tashkent city Enterprise for Water Supply and Waste Water Treatment, Tashkent Heat Energy Supply Department, Makhsustrans) was formed and Mirzo-Ulugbek district was designated as a pilot region.

It is worth noting that the UNDP Uzbekistan has allocated a fund amounted to US$65,000 to the implementation of the pilot project on establishing electronic billing system.

The fund will be spent for the following purposes:

• Drafting the Concept on the development of unified technical terms, standards and parameters for client data bases and billing system;

• Identifying main areas of the work within the implementation of the pilot project;

• Hiring highly qualified international consultants;

• Conducting research, studying the best foreign experience on using electronic billing system for utility services;

• Conducting analysis of the current situation of public utility sphere.

On 15 August 2013, the working group experts will organize a Presentation to showcase the preliminary results of the joint work. The event will be attended by the heads of the UNDP Uzbekistan and Tashkent city Administration.