Gov’t hikes penalties for fire safety violations across residential and commercial sectors

Uzbekistan plans to increase liability for fire safety violations, introducing higher penalties for officials and expanded powers for oversight authorities.

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Under the new law, the Ministry of Emergency Situations will be empowered to suspend business operations to prevent fire-related emergencies and other imminent threats to public life and health.

Amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility introduce stricter penalties for breaching fire safety rules. These measures apply to enterprises, institutions, and organizations, as well as public spaces, warehouses, dormitories, and residential buildings, including those in the design, construction, or reconstruction phases.

Violations will carry fines ranging from 1 to 3 times the Base Calculating Amount (BCA) for individuals and 3 to 10 times the BCA for officials (previously 3 to 7 times).

Furthermore, the Chief State Inspector for Fire Safety and their deputies are now authorized to review administrative offense cases and impose fines of up to 25 times the BCA on officials, up from the previous cap of 20.

The law will enter into force three months after its official publication.