The Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights and Legitimate Interests of Business Entities under the President of Uzbekistan announced that electricity payment benefits had been restored for 1,798 companies.
The review was launched following a complaint from a Namangan-based company identified as M.G. The Business Ombudsman's Office then conducted a broader assessment of how statutory benefits were being applied across the textile and garment-knitwear industries.
Officials noted that, under a presidential decree issued in January 2023, textile and knitwear enterprises are exempt from the requirement to prepay electricity charges one month in advance.
However, the review found that most companies in the sector were still being billed under the advance payment system despite the exemption. Following the findings, the Business Ombudsman's Office submitted a formal recommendation calling for the cancellation of the unlawful charges.
As a result, 1,798 companies received the benefits guaranteed under the legislation, while unjustifiably accrued electricity charges totaling UZS 84.7 billion were written off.
The office also reported that administrative violation reports had been filed against 109 officials under Article 241-6 of Uzbekistan's Code on Administrative Responsibility, which covers the unlawful refusal to grant, or failure to apply, legally established benefits and preferences.
