“All operators are busy” – Uzbekistan tackles long wait times on hotlines

According to data compiled by the committee, the highest volume of mobile traffic is directed toward short codes managed by electricity, gas, and water distribution companies, as well as other vital utility services. In several documented instances, callers faced wait times ranging from 10–30 minutes before reaching an agent.

This bottleneck is compounded by a notable surge in citizen queries across several primary sectors. Recent metrics indicate that grievances and inquiries regarding gas supply increased 4.5 times. Similarly, communication volume regarding household waste management climbed 2.4 times, while complaints relating to drinking water access and local construction services grew 1.2 times.

The oversight body pointed out that the operational framework of many institutional call centers is currently fragmented, lacking a unified legal and regulatory standard. To rectify these systemic operational and technical bottlenecks, the Competition Committee has formally submitted a package of regulatory proposals to the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

The committee's primary recommendation is to extend Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 790, which sets efficiency standards for public service call centers, to all public service providers in the country. It also proposes holding managers of underperforming call centers personally accountable and requiring seasonal performance reports to be made public.