Tashkent region water supplier ordered to refund 2.2 billion UZS following overcharging probe

The discovery followed an extensive audit conducted by the Tashkent regional branch of the Competition Committee. The investigation focused on the compliance of tariffs applied to drinking water and wastewater management services within the province.

According to the committee’s press service, the investigation revealed that Musaffo Obi Hayot Magistral Suv Ta’minoti JSC had collected over 2.2 billion UZS in unjustified payments. These excess charges resulted from the improper application of increased tariffs for water and sewage services.

In response to these findings, the Special Commission of the Committee initiated a formal case against the joint-stock company for signs of violating the Law "On Competition."

Following the deliberation of the case, the commission reached the following decisions:

• Financial sanctions: A monetary fine has been imposed on the organization for legal non-compliance.
• Restitution: A mandatory instruction was issued to recalculate the bills and return the unfairly collected 2.2 billion UZS to the end consumers.
• Preventative measures: The utility provider has been ordered to eliminate the violations and take strict measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The Competition Committee emphasized its commitment to monitoring utility pricing to ensure that natural monopolies and dominant service providers do not exploit their position at the expense of the public.