Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The President signed Decree "On measures for the effective organization of public administration in the field of competition development and consumer protection within the framework of administrative reforms," Norma reports.

The document establishes that the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection (hereinafter referred to as the Competition Committee):

is a republican antimonopoly body that is directly accountable to the President and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis;

exercises its powers independently of state bodies and organizations.

From 1 October 2023:

a register (list) of economic entities that have been granted exclusive rights is being introduced, the maintenance of which and control over compliance by economic entities with the conditions for non-admission of discrimination is entrusted to the Competition Committee;

The Competition Committee determines the entities that can unilaterally influence the determination of the terms of the transaction, the territory and the price of the sale of goods (excellent negotiating power) and prohibits the abuse of such an opportunity;

an individual or legal entity that has entered into an anti-competitive agreement or performed a mutually coordinated action and was the first to voluntarily report this to the Competition Committee shall be released from liability;

business entities that occupy a dominant position in commodity, financial and digital markets post standard contracts (offers) on monopoly types of goods (works, services) sold on their official websites;

when carrying out activities in the field of natural monopolies by economic entities whose main activity is not the production of goods or the provision of services under the conditions of a natural monopoly, they are not considered subjects of a natural monopoly.

When suppressing anti-competitive actions, preventive and explanatory measures will be carried out without the application of liability measures in relation to business entities that have committed offenses for the first time in cases with a low degree of economic impact.

The Competition Committee is implementing the project “We are listening to you”, within the framework of which a system is being introduced for quarterly meetings with entrepreneurs, development and implementation of proposals to eliminate factors that hinder competition.

By the end of the year, an information system and a mobile application "Product Information" will be developed, which will provide consumers with the opportunity to receive online information about goods (works and services) that are in circulation on the country’s consumer market.

It is also planned to gradually introduce the institution of independent market regulators in areas related to the infrastructure of industries and natural monopolies, including:

electricity;

natural gas;

railways;

civil aviation;

airport services;

roads;

telecommunications.

Until January 1, 2025, the functions of the Committee for the Regulation and Control of Tariffs of Natural Monopoly Entities will be gradually transferred to independent market regulators being created.

The document approved:

priority areas of activity of the Committee for the Development of Competition and Protection of Consumer Rights;

organizational structure of the Committee;

"Roadmap" to deepen reforms in the field of competition development and consumer protection and improve the operation of the system;

List of functions of the Committee transferred to the private sector.