Uzbekistan intends to decrease the list of monopoly goods

70 enterprises that produce 19 types of goods and provide services might be excluded from the monopolist roster due to the formation of a competitive environment for them in the market.

This was voiced during the meeting chaired by the President of Uzbekistan on May 28. Meanwhile, to date, 245 enterprises in country preserve monopolist status that produce 31 group of goods and 82 types of services.

Uzbek Leader noted that the competitive environment formation will play the key role in country’s transformation to market economy. Best international practices will lay the foundation for the unified vision.

The World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development representatives will be involved in the implementation of the antimonopoly compliance system in enterprises with a state share, and training managers on the basics of competition and compliance.

Considering the importance of systemic approach in fighting monopoly, the President of Uzbekistan highlighted the necessity of the following: establishing a separate competition development faculty in the higher education system; organizing capacity building courses for judges in order to consider disputes in the field of competition on the basis of the Tashkent Law University; holding short-term courses on development of competition for heads of monopolistic enterprises and khokims at the Higher School of Business and Entrepreneurship and creation of a separate judicial board on these matters.

Out of more than 11 thousand consumer complaints received by the Consumer Rights Protection Agency in 2019, 50% related to utilities and transport, 25% to trade, while the remaining 25% to communications, financial services, and others.

In this regard, Uzbekistan is planning to extend the mandate of the Agency for the Protection of Consumer Rights under the Antimonopoly Committee and consider establishing its accountability to the Oliy Majlis, the highest representative body that directly protects the interests of consumers.