Uzbekistan is expected to allow cash payments for alcoholic beverages in cafes, restaurants, and hotels, as announced during an open dialogue with entrepreneurs in the catering sector on April 21. Business owners complained that the current non-cash payment system has made it difficult to work with tourists.

Farrukh Pulatov, head of the Tax Committee, acknowledged the issue, stating: “This is our fault, our oversight. We are working on it and will provide a solution in the coming days. We will fix it.” He added that the Tax Committee has already drafted a document proposing to introduce both cash and non-cash payment options for alcohol in restaurants and hotels. The draft is currently being coordinated with relevant authorities.

Davron Vakhabov, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that the current rules pose a serious barrier for tourists. According to him, if a foreign tourist wants to buy alcohol at a hotel with cash, they are told to “quickly open a Uzcard or Humo card,” which discourages the tourist, who then leaves the country without making the purchase.

It should be recalled that starting April 1, cash payments were banned for certain goods and services, including alcohol and tobacco, purchases over 25 million soums, and at gas stations. The new system disabled the “cash” button on cash registers.

Source: www.gazeta.uz