Uzbekistan Introduces New Rules for Seismic Inspections and Construction Liability

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis has approved in its first reading a draft law aimed at strengthening state oversight of seismic resistance and the seismic safety of buildings and structures.

During the discussion, Deputy Prosecutor General Dilmurod Kasimov reported that over the past two years, of 11,800 newly constructed apartment buildings inspected, 1,434 failed to obtain registration. The construction inspection identified 182 cases of illegal additional floors, and 1,346 structures required technical-instrumental examination. By the end of 2025, 778 buildings had been checked, of which 142 were deemed in need of reinforcement and one was classified as seismically hazardous.

Following the inspections, petitions were filed to suspend or revoke the licenses of 85 design organizations, and 98 criminal cases were initiated for construction violations. To combat unauthorized multi-story construction, the draft law proposes introducing administrative liability: fines of 400 sizes of basic estimated valie (BEV, 164.8 million soums) for citizens and 450 BEVs (185.4 million soums) for officials. Repeat violations may incur criminal liability.

The draft law also designates master plans as an independent type of urban planning documentation. Their purpose is to address territorial issues, plan development, and harmonize urban, socio-economic, and environmental solutions. Licenses with unlimited validity for designing and constructing bridges and tunnels will be canceled, and the start of construction will require mandatory permits instead of a simple notification procedure.

Zukhriddin Mavlonov, a deputy from the Adolat Party, drew attention to changes in the procedures for technical-instrumental inspections in seismically active zones. Whereas inspections were previously conducted at least once every ten years, they will now be carried out “as needed,” which the deputy warned could create a risk of corruption. In response, Cabinet official Akbar Rajabov clarified that inspections are conducted only upon requests from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other state bodies, with a single nine-story building inspection costing 100–150 million soums. This provision may be revised before the second reading.

The majority of deputies supported the draft law in its first reading.