Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers is being created in Uzbekistan. 

The committee is created in accordance with the decree of the President of Uzbekistan from 24 May 2024.

The committee will be created on the basis of the Inspectorate for Control of Mining, Geological and Industrial Safety under the Ministry of Mining and Geology.

The inspectorate will be reorganized into the Mining and Geology Control Inspectorate.

The new Committee will become an authorized executive body responsible for the implementation and coordination of a unified state policy in the field of radiation and nuclear safety at nuclear energy and nuclear technology facilities, as well as for industrial safety at hazardous production facilities.

The Committee will be assigned a staff of 110 people, as well as functions for control of gas stations, gas filling stations and CNG filling stations, primary oil and gas refining, safety of main pipelines and gas facilities, activities of recreation parks, industrial safety during grain storage, operation of elevators and other areas .

The Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety, financed from the state budget without the formation of a legal entity, will be created within the structure of the Committee.

Also, the Committee will have a Scientific and Technical Center for Radiation and Nuclear Safety in the form of a state institution.

Committee officials will receive the following powers:
- Unimpeded access to controlled objects;
- Monitoring compliance with industrial, radiation and nuclear safety requirements at hazardous production facilities;
- Suspension of work that violates safety requirements or creates a threat of incidents and accidents, as well as the evacuation of people if their lives are threatened;
- Bringing to administrative responsibility officials and individuals for violations of legislation in the field of technical regulation within the limits of their powers.

The Committee personnel responsible for monitoring nuclear energy facilities will be located directly at these facilities.

An extra-budgetary Fund will be created under the Committee to support the field of industrial safety, financed from funds from the provision of government services in the field of industrial, radiation and nuclear safety, 40% of fines collected from violators, and other sources.

Together with the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Mines and Geology, and the Atomic Energy Agency, the Committee is instructed to make proposals to increase the staff of the Department by September 1, 2025, based on the development of nuclear energy and international standards.

Before 1 December, it is also necessary to prepare proposals for improving the activities of the Committee based on the best practices of developed countries in the field of industrial, radiation and nuclear safety, with the involvement of international financial institutions and consulting companies.