The Antimonopoly Committee (AC) and the Consumer Rights Protection Agency received new powers. This is provided for by the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan No. UP-145 dated May 31.

During a period of sharp fluctuations in prices for basic food products, the AC and the Agency have the right to:

• make mandatory submissions to companies, regardless of their revenue received from the sale of goods (services) for the last calendar year, as well as to government bodies, mayor’s offices and associations of legal entities in case of revealing signs of abuse of a dominant position, concerted actions and collusion, failure to file in full and reduce the supply of monopoly and highly liquid products subject to mandatory listing for exchange trading, manipulation, obstruction of the stable functioning of the commodity or financial market. At the same time, non-fulfillment of the submission for unjustified reasons entails liability;
• directly enter the buildings of business entities, regardless of their organizational and legal form, and conduct an inventory of available stocks in warehouses to identify cases of unreasonable price increases, concerted actions and collusion. In this case, you need to notify the business ombudsman;
• make binding submissions and instructions to reduce unreasonably high prices, to sell excess volumes of food products identified during the inventory.

This period (sharp price fluctuations) is being set by the Cabinet of Ministers for a period of up to 6 months, if over the past 30 days prices have increased by an amount equal to or higher than the main rate of the Central Bank.

The Committee and the Agency will also be able to issue instructions to manufacturers and sellers to suspend production, import into the territory of the country, sale, withdrawal from circulation and forced withdrawal from consumers of goods recognized as dangerous and of poor quality for human health, property of legal entities and individuals.

In addition, in shopping complexes, networks and markets specializing in the sale of consumer goods, the AC and the agency can identify (study) and make binding instructions for:

• elimination of illegal actions aimed at manipulation, unreasonable and artificial increase in prices for basic food products, creating a shortage of goods and excessive demand for them;
• compliance with established pricing mechanisms for basic food products;
• elimination of artificial barriers and restrictions on entry to markets and trade networks.

In the central office of the Antimonopoly Committee, a Department for Monitoring Prices in Consumer Markets is being created with its own territorial departments. It will analyze the prices of consumer goods in the domestic market, import concentration, the impact of tariff and non-tariff measures on prices, and ensuring competition in trade.