According to Uzbekistan's Tax Committee, nearly 22,000 complaints were received from citizens in February regarding cases of refusing cashless payments via terminals to hide income and accepting payments through peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers. Deputy Chairman of the committee, Jahongir Abdiyev, disclosed this on March 27 during a media dialogue organized by the Central Bank, stating that the increasing violations necessitate a review of the effectiveness of applied penalties.

The media dialogue highlighted that despite years of efforts to reduce the share of the shadow economy and establish cashless transactions, cases of refusing terminal payments under various pretexts and circumventing legislation persist. Specifically, in major markets of the capital such as "Otchopar," "Abu-Sahiy," and "O'rikzor," sellers are accepting payments via P2P transfers using false excuses like the absence or malfunction of terminals.

Jahongir Abdiyev noted that the majority of the 21,964 complaints received in February relate directly to refusals to accept payments via terminals. Among these, the most common issues include failure to provide receipts, refusal to accept plastic card payments, and overcharging for card transactions. Committee inspections confirmed violations in 99.2% of these cases, with 6,700 instances involving repeated offenses.

Abdiyev pointed out that 15–20% of the complaints are specifically linked to accepting payments via P2P. When violations are identified, fines are imposed on such entrepreneurs, amounting to 5 million soums, reduced to 2.5 million if paid within a month. He emphasized that if a sense of responsibility does not emerge even after fines are applied, it may be necessary to consider increasing penalty amounts or strengthening punishments, and proposals in this direction are currently being prepared.

Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Ahadbek Haydarov added that imposing restrictions on P2P operations is not a viable solution, as it could lead to an increase in cash transactions among the population. He argued that if restrictions are imposed, people might revert to trading only in cash, returning to the previous situation. Haydarov stated that the ministry is working to regulate the process while ensuring money "does not flee the banks," and stressed the need for a balanced system that reduces the shadow economy and prevents a shift back to cash.

Source: www.gazeta.uz