Police seized 333.54 tonnes of coal and 92.9 tonnes of liquefied gas from illegal circulation in October, the Interior ministry’s press service said, as Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov ordered tighter control over fuel supplies to homes and social facilities.
The ministry identified 16 cases of illegal storage and sale of coal and 374 cases involving liquefied gas. The coal was handed over to meet residents’ needs, and 9,139 seized gas cylinders are being returned to consumers. Employees of gas supply companies were involved in many of the gas thefts, the ministry said.
Tashpulatov held a meeting on preventing corruption and theft and ensuring timely supplies of coal, natural gas and liquefied gas. Officials were told to deliver cylinders on schedule, ensure transparency in transport and distribution, and prevent unjustified charges to consumers.
The ministry plans more checks for discrepancies between the volumes of gas and coal allocated and those in official reports, as well as short deliveries and abuse of office.
Together with Hududgaztaminot and the Ministry of Transport, it will monitor transport logistics, including compliance with routes. It will also tighten security at gas filling stations, warehouses and distribution depots.
At a meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in early September, it was reported that about 3.8 million consumers and almost 2,000 social facilities receive liquefied gas, with 604,800 tonnes earmarked for 2026. Checks showed that 22% of consumers receive supplies at intervals of more than 46 days, forcing some families to buy gas at auto filling stations at market prices.
A pilot project to bring in private delivery operators was announced, along with a Hududgaztaminot subsidiary, LPG-Trade, to buy gas on the exchange and deliver it to residents.
From Nov. 15, the household price of liquefied gas will rise from 2,000 to 5,000 soums per kg. Vulnerable families will receive compensation of up to 60,000 soums a month. A fine for filling household cylinders at auto gas stations will take effect in February 2027.
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