A Week in Uzbekistan: benefits for gas-free districts, rising inflation and disputes over the 'Safe Student' app

Benefits for gas-free districts and more expensive propane

From November 1, in districts without natural gas or with hard-to-access gas supply, the base electricity consumption norm for the heating season has been raised from 200 to 350 kWh. The lists of subscribers are approved by regional khokims upon a proposal from the Ministry of Energy. According to Kun.uz's calculations, at the current tariffs the benefit reaches 37,500 soums per month and about 150,000 soums over the four-month heating season.

Aid to low-income families and propane compensation

Under another resolution, needy families are to receive one-time material aid of 1 million soums each by the start of the heating season — families on the social register, as well as families not on the register with an income below 1 million 430 thousand soums per person; low-income residents of apartment buildings with central heating are also covered. From November 15, the price of propane for the population will rise from 2,000 to 5,000 soums per kilogram: a 20-liter cylinder will go up from 40,000 to 100,000 soums. For low-income families, a compensation of 3,000 soums per kilogram (up to 20 kg per month) has been introduced, which fully covers the 60,000-soums difference. It is now allowed to allocate a separate household gas cylinder to each family living in one house, upon drawing up an act with the participation of the mahalla and gas workers. A safety law has also been signed: refilling household gas cylinders at automobile gas filling stations is prohibited, with violators facing a fine of 3 to 5 BRV; the rule will take effect in three months. The draft resolution raising hot water and heating tariffs, which, according to the outlet, envisaged tariff increases of up to 30% in the capital, has not yet been signed.

Inflation accelerates, the rate stays at 14%

The Central Bank has raised its inflation forecast for the end of the year from 6.5% to 7%. According to Samijon Inogamov, director of the monetary policy department, the expected new hot water and heating tariffs turned out to be higher than the regulator's initial expectations. At the same time, at Thursday's meeting the base rate was again left unchanged at 14%, set back in March 2025, when inflation exceeded 10%. The possibility of a cut to 13.5% was considered, but due to the impact of tariff increases, easing conditions was deemed premature. The Statistics Committee reported that annual inflation at the end of October stood at 6.5% (+0.1% from the previous month). The regulator still expects inflation to fall to the target 5% by December 2027.

WTO accession postponed to 2027

Uzbekistan's WTO membership, which the country planned to join in March 2026, has been postponed. According to the head of the working group, Song Ye-chol, speaking at a press conference in Tashkent, the country aims to complete negotiations this year and join in 2027. Presidential Administration inspector Iskanderbek Genjaev explained that members of the organization raise additional questions and obligations, the coordination of which, taking Uzbekistan's interests into account, takes time; negotiations on the state's participation in the economy and support for state-owned enterprises remain difficult.

'Safe Student': coercion disguised as voluntariness

In Tashkent, a campaign to install the 'Safe Student' app on students' phones on a 'voluntary-compulsory' basis has been going on for several days. An appeal to the Kun.uz newsroom says that at the International Turkic University, internal affairs officers threatened students who had not installed the app with '15 days of detention'; on November 3, a group led by the deputy head of the Uchtepa district police department, Abdurashid Achilov, allegedly checked phones in classrooms. The Ministry of Internal Affairs left the outlet's request unanswered. At the University of World Languages, according to reports, students without the app were not allowed into classes — the administration denied these reports, but confirmed the dismissal of the dean of the faculty of translation studies over errors in promoting the app. The Prosecutor General's Office stated that connecting students to the platform is not mandatory, and that oversight activities are aimed only at explaining its capabilities: the app provides online access to data on the educational process, allows users to contact government bodies, call for help with an SOS button, and serves as an access key to the university and dormitory. As of November 6, the app had been downloaded about 50,000 times on Google Play.

Construction market: violations in contracts and the Imarat case

The Antimonopoly Committee reported that while examining the contracts of 132 construction companies in Tashkent and 11 regions, conditions infringing consumer rights were identified: in 77% of contracts the deadline for refunding funds upon termination is not defined or does not match the advance payment deadline, in 64% the warranty period after acceptance of housing is not specified, 59% of contracts are drafted solely in the developer's interests, and in 51% no penalty for missed deadlines is provided. The Committee submitted proposals 'to the relevant authorities'; their content was not disclosed. Meanwhile, the mandatory transfer of shared-equity construction to escrow accounts from January 1, 2026, envisaged by a February 2025 resolution, has not in practice taken effect; the relevant draft law passed its first reading in the Legislative Chamber on July 28, after which no news of it followed. Against this backdrop, an 'Imarat case' was opened in Tashkent on fraud charges: following protests over delayed delivery of buildings and non-refund of money, the company's leaders Marat Khamdamov and Jasur Azizov were arrested. Before the arrest, Khamdamov accused his business partner of attempting to take over the company, and after the detention his wife Shakhzoda Mukhamedova also made accusations against Azizov.