The Central Bank of Uzbekistan is introducing restrictions on debiting funds from clients' bank cards to repay unpaid credit debts without obtaining prior consent from these clients. According to the new rules, banks are obliged to leave in clients' accounts an amount equal to at least half of the minimum monthly wage after such debits are made.
These changes were introduced into the Regulation on minimum requirements for commercial banks' activities in relations with banking service consumers. The new rule applies to the process of collecting payments for loans or guarantees made from clients' bank cards without their direct instruction.
If this rule is applied, banks must guarantee that an amount equivalent to half of the established minimum monthly wage remains in the client's account. Currently, the minimum monthly wage in Uzbekistan is 1.36 million UZS.
Thus, after debits under the new rules, at least 680,000 UZS must remain in clients' bank cards. These amendments will come into force in three months.