The key facts

  • 48.4% of appeals concern household waste collection and removal; 18.1% (18.4% per the Uzbek version) concern payment for unrendered services
  • From January 1, 2026, fees must be charged only for services actually rendered; in February more than 850 complaints were received
  • As of February 5, restrictions applied to more than 198.8 thousand subscribers with a debt of 15.8 billion soums

Deputy raised the issue of charges for unrendered services

Residents of Uzbekistan complain about being charged for garbage collection services that were not actually rendered. This issue was raised on October 13 at a session of the Legislative Chamber by Odiljon Mamadaliyev, a member of the Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection. According to him, despite the measures taken, problems persist in the regions with the quality of household waste collection and removal and with the charging of fees for these services.

Data on appeals and landfills

Citing a report by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the deputy gave statistics: 48.4% of appeals from individuals and legal entities concern the collection and removal of household waste, and the share of complaints about payment for unrendered services is 18.1% — the Uzbek-language version of the publication states 18.4%. Mamadaliyev also noted problems with landfills: reclamation planned for 2026 is behind schedule, and a number of landfills do not fully comply with environmental standards, sanitary rules and fire safety requirements.

Investments and service coverage

According to the data cited by the deputy, in 2025, 386.5 billion soums of investment was attracted for the development of the solid household waste management system, and population coverage by collection and removal services reached 63%. In seven regions, projects for generating electricity from waste are being implemented with a total cost of about 933 million dollars; a second stage plans projects worth another 1.6 billion dollars.

Parliamentary inquiry

Given the persisting problems, the relevant committee proposed sending a parliamentary inquiry to the director of the Agency for Waste Management and Circular Economy Development, Sharifbek Khasanov. The deputies supported the proposal: the agency was asked to provide explanations on measures to improve the waste management system, develop the circular economy and organize the payment for services.

Context: growth of complaints in early 2026

From January 1, 2026, a procedure has been in effect in Uzbekistan under which fees for waste collection and removal are charged only for services actually rendered. In February, Gazeta reported a sharp increase in complaints: according to the Committee for the Development of Competition and Protection of Consumer Rights, more than 850 appeals had been received by February 12 since the beginning of the year — compared with 1,141 complaints for all of 2025. The appeals concerned untimely removal, low quality of services, violation of contractual obligations and unjustified charging of debts; in some cases, due to the debt, consumers faced restrictions on electricity payments. As of February 5, restrictions applied to more than 198.8 thousand subscribers with a total debt of 15.8 billion soums. The Competition Committee then proposed that the agency revise the procedure for applying restrictions, ensure timely garbage removal and prevent unjustified charging of debt.