The Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan has uncovered widespread discrepancies and billing errors within the public utilities sector following a nationwide investigation. According to the findings, nearly 800,000 citizens who were temporarily absent from their primary residences had their unjustified utility debts recalculated, amounting to approximately 22 billion sums.

The agency reported that data regarding certain subscribers failed to match real-world conditions, while information concerning new subscribers was systematically omitted from operational databases. It was established that individuals temporarily residing, working, job-hunting, or studying abroad were continuously charged for municipal services during periods when they were entirely absent from the country.

Specifically, inspections revealed that roughly 800,000 citizens were billed for household waste collection services that were never actually rendered. Furthermore, the rights of nearly 100 individuals living in households lacking drinking water meters were violated through erroneous charges, prompting service providers to restore consumer rights and correct the balances.

Under current regulatory frameworks, when changes in the number of subscribers are confirmed through supporting documentation, debt recalculations are applied retroactively from the exact date of the demographic change. In the absence of such documentation, recalculations are legally restricted to the preceding three-month period.

To prevent similar administrative failures moving forward, the Competition Committee has formally proposed the integration of utility billing systems with national migration databases. Additionally, authorities have submitted recommendations to introduce an automatic monthly recalculation mechanism for subscribers staying abroad for over a month until their return to Uzbekistan.

Source: www.gazeta.uz