Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan has started discussing a bill that would limit the ability to pay for electricity in cases of outstanding debts for waste disposal services. This was reported by the press service of the lower house of parliament.

The bill is currently being reviewed within the parliamentary factions. According to the document, individuals with debts for waste disposal services will be notified via SMS. If the debt remains unpaid, temporary restrictions on accepting payments for electricity are planned.

The "Milliy Tiklanish" party faction discussed the draft and requested additional information, which is why the bill has not yet been included in the agenda of the plenary session. During the faction meeting, the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov, personally presented the draft.

According to data presented by the minister, the population’s debt for waste disposal services has reached 596 billion soums, an increase of 115 billion soums since the beginning of the year. Efforts to recover debts through the courts, which have been assigned to the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Ecology, have not yielded the expected results.

Deputy Jahongir Shirinov expressed doubts about the legal basis of the proposal, noting that the contract between the consumer and the energy supply organization is bilateral and does not involve a third party.

In response, a representative of the Ministry of Ecology explained that the bill aims to establish a legal foundation to address the issue. He emphasized that the contract with the energy supply company is individual, while the contract with the waste disposal organization is public.

The bill includes amendments to the "Consumer Rights Protection," "Competition," and "Electric Power Industry" laws.

The Minister of Ecology clarified that, according to a presidential decree, consumers have already been notified via SMS about restrictions on electricity payments due to waste disposal debts. However, in practice, the ability to pay for electricity is not yet restricted, as relevant changes need to be made to the legislation for this to happen. The minister noted that after the SMS notifications were sent, payments for waste disposal increased by 200-300 times.

During the discussion, one deputy asked whether it is common in other countries to disconnect one utility service due to unpaid debts for another. Aziz Abdukhakimov responded that such practices exist in most developed countries. He also clarified that this is not about disconnecting electricity but only restricting payment for it.

The leader of "Milliy Tiklanish," Alisher Kadirov, stated that a unified billing system for all utilities and debts is planned for creation within the next two years. Additionally, measures to tighten accountability for providing poor-quality services are also planned.

Kadirov emphasized that timely payment for services is a key factor for the development of the system, attracting investments, and ensuring quality service. According to him, waste collection and recycling are vital for public health, and unmanaged landfills pose a serious threat.