Fergana Oil Refinery workers report two-month delay in wages

According to an employee who contacted Kun.uz, more than 3,000 workers are employed at the plant, and none have received their wages for the past two months.

“There are over 3,000 of us, and we haven’t been paid for two months. Management is silent – no one knows what’s going on. Our salaries are already low, but we’re not asking for a raise, only that they be paid on time,” the worker said.

Another employee confirmed the information, saying wages have not been paid since June.

A representative of the Fergana Oil Refinery told Kun.uz that payments are expected to resume soon, adding that the delays were caused by issues related to a loan.

Previously, employees of Eriell and Enter Engineering – companies linked to Saneg, which owns the Fergana Oil Refinery – also released several video appeals reporting serious problems with wage payments.

Privatization of the refinery

In May 2022, Saneg LLC (Sanoat Energetika Guruhi) acquired 100% of the Fergana Oil Refinery’s shares for $100 million, subject to certain obligations. Following the privatization, the plant posted a net profit of UZS 469.6 billion in 2023 and UZS 236.1 billion in 2024.

However, as 58.5% of the controlling stake remains with the State Assets Management Agency (SAMA), it appears the agreed payment to the state has not been fully made in the past three years. It remains unclear when the deal will be closed or how many more years the payment process will take.

Meanwhile, Saneg has managed to sell part of the refinery for $140 million. It is unknown whether Saneg had the right to resell a plant it acquired on credit.