Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – Uzbekistan plans to introduce fines for power companies for sudden electricity blackouts, according to Business Ombudsman Dilmurol Kasimov.

On 29 June, during an open dialogue for representatives from financial, legal, consulting, telecommunications, and IT sectors, IT company representative Abdukahhor Toshmukhamedov expressed dissatisfaction with frequent power outages.

He noted that the IT sector heavily relies on electricity: "When there is none, work stops. Fines need to be imposed on power networks. In summer, power is cut off for 3-4 hours daily. Prices have risen to commercial levels, but there is no accountability to consumers. The outages occur at the same time every day. This needs to be regulated," he emphasized.

Toshmukhamedov added that his company is accountable to foreign partners and is forced to pay fines for not meeting commercial obligations.

Business Ombudsman Dilmurol Kasimov acknowledged the problem with power outages, stating that it affects all sectors of the economy, including manufacturing.

"We are developing a proposal to introduce liability for power networks for outages without warning. These outages occur daily, and no one can guarantee continuity. But there should be accountability for sudden outages, as this can halt business activities," he stated.