“We are interested not in disconnecting consumers from the electricity supply, but rather in selling it” – Ulugbek Mustafoyev

“The analysis shows that most consumers do not pay for the consumed electricity until they are disconnected from the network. For example, the number of those who did not pay for consumed electricity during the year amounts to 903,305, of which 573,655 have arrears,” Mustafoyev said.
  
According to him, the number of debtor consumers who have not paid for three years in the Samarkand region is 46,158, in the Tashkent region – 45,685, in the Fergana region – 28,770 and in the Andijan region – 26,867.  

Today, the number of consumers among the population with debts in the amount of 1 to 3 million soums is 157,839, from 3 to 5 million soums – 14,890 and over 10 million – 5,199 people.  

“In the context of the pandemic, from April to August, we continuously provided consumers with electricity. There are many debtors among them. There are even those who have not paid for electricity for three years. We must not forget that this is a double-edged sword. As soon as you run out of money on your phone, you immediately recharge its balance, but when it comes to paying for electricity, you don’t think of paying for it for years, right?” Mustafoyev exclaimed.

However, he apologized to consumers for the shortcomings. “We admit that there are shortcomings and we are modernizing the industry to address them,” he added.
  
“The main goal of implementing the Automated Electric Power Control and Accounting System is to ensure transparency of relations between the supplier and the consumer, clarify payments for electricity, strengthen payment discipline, obtain and analyze the necessary data in the context of each consumer and transformer station. On the basis of these data, the possibility of modernizing the industry is being created,” the head of the Regional Electric Networks said.  

In addition, with the help of this system, the prevention of external interventions into consumer meters, cases of illegal consumption of electricity will be achieved.  

“When disconnecting from the network, there are often cases of unauthorized connection among debtor consumers. The system we are offering is the solution to this very problem. It should be especially noted that we are interested not in disconnecting, but in selling electricity. The persistence of large amounts of debt has a negative impact on the development of the industry,” he concluded.