Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the end of March, entrepreneurs encountered problems importing elevators due to the suspension of previously issued certificates of conformity. Customs found 332 elevators and escalators worth US$9.5 million. After a request from senators, the issuance of certificates resumed. 150 elevators have already been removed from customs.

At the end of March, entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan encountered problems importing elevators into the country. It turned out that importers’ three-year certificates of conformity had been suspended on behalf of the government, preventing them from obtaining them across the customs border.

The problem was resolved after the intervention of senators, the press service of the upper house of parliament reported. The Senate Committee on Defense and Security drew attention to it when studying the implementation of the law “On the State Customs Service” at customs posts in the Tashkent region and Tashkent.

Several entrepreneurs addressed members of the Senate at the customs post for foreign economic activity “Tashkent-commodity”. They reported that elevators and escalators imported into the territory of Uzbekistan on the basis of 17 certificates of conformity issued by the state institution “Industrial Safety” for the production process are stored in customs warehouses without good reason and cannot be exported.

Preliminary studies of the Senate Committee showed that the State Institution “Industrial Safety” is the only accredited body in the country for the certification of industrial products (elevators, escalators, gas cylinders, heating boilers).

Due to the termination of the institution’s accreditation, Uzbekistan was left without an active and accredited certification body for conformity assessment, which created problems for entrepreneurs.

It turned out that customs warehouses contain 332 elevators and escalators worth US$9.5 million, brought by 47 enterprises.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Kutbitdin Burkhanov, sent a senatorial request to the government, in which he asked for a substantiated explanation of the measures taken to consider the issue of making a legal decision on the removal from customs warehouses of elevators for which payment had been made in advance in accordance with import agreements concluded before March 1, as well as the decision this problem that concerns entrepreneurs.

The Cabinet of Ministers reported that a complete inventory of regulations relating to the quality and safety of elevators and their devices is being carried out with the study of international, in particular European experience, since in recent years accidents related to elevators have become more frequent in the country.

The government has also identified a number of important tasks, such as the establishment of an accreditation system for elevator maintenance organizations in accordance with international standards to ensure the coverage of elevator inspections and their quality implementation.

After the senator’s request, by decision of the Accreditation Center, accreditation certificates issued in the name of the product certification body of the State Institution “Industrial Safety” (OZAK.MS.0068) and in the name of the testing laboratory (OZAK.SL.0248) were restored. The process of issuing certificates of conformity to entrepreneurs for elevators, escalators and travelators has been resumed.