On July 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video-conference government meeting on priority tasks in the fuel and energy sector.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the Ministry of Energy and its subordinate agencies for a lack of follow-through and accountability among their leadership.
"Both ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs are thoroughly dissatisfied with how the officials responsible for this sector are currently performing. I'll say it again: the work of every leader in this system must first and foremost be felt in people's everyday lives and living standards, and must make things easier for entrepreneurs," the president said.
Sackings and Appointments
Amid ongoing power supply disruptions, a number of officials were removed from their posts. Notably, Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, who had served as Minister of Energy since September 2022, was dismissed. He was replaced by Sherzod Khujayev, formerly director of the Agency for Development and Regulation of the Energy Market.
Ahadkhon Isoqjonov, previously first deputy chairman of the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety, was appointed to head Uzenergoinspektsiya, replacing Dadajon Isaqulov. Meanwhile, Sardor Isaqulov — who had previously served as first deputy chairman of the Thermal Power Stations board and head of the Ministry of Energy's Central Dispatch Control Department — was named head of Regional Electric Networks, taking over from Asrorjon Asqarov.
In addition, the chiefs of National Electric Networks, Thermal Power Stations, UzTransgaz, and Hududgaz were placed on probation through the end of the year. They were warned that they, too, would lose their jobs if results fail to materialize.
"Let's be honest. The problem in the energy sector isn't money — we're providing whatever funding is needed. The problem lies in how the system is being managed!" the president declared.
According to officials, $23 billion in foreign investment has flowed into the energy sector in recent years, and 9.5 gigawatts of power generation capacity have been brought online across the country. Some 30 trillion soums have been allocated to upgrade electricity and gas networks, substations, transformers, and gas distribution facilities — six times more than was invested over the preceding 25 years combined.
Over the past five years, electricity consumption in the city of Shirin and in the Yangihayot, Yakkasaroy, and Ohangaron districts has more than doubled. Yet officials and local governors failed to anticipate that the networks would be unable to handle such a load. The president criticized the fact that no one had calculated how much damage each blackout inflicts on businesses and the economy. Because local hokims lacked a clear picture of the energy consumption balance in their regions, billions of soums went to waste.
"Governors and mayors have no right to sit back comfortably and say, 'That's the energy workers' problem.' There will be a strict reckoning," the president said.
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