October 16, 14:00UzDaily

Uzbekistan Committee Identifies Unjustified Price Hikes for Medical Services

The Competition Committee of Uzbekistan has discovered violations in the pricing of paid medical services in the Karakalpakstan, Samarkand, and Syrdarya regions, finding that medical institutions were charging patients unjustified additional fees.

According to the committee, measures have been taken to eliminate these violations and return overpaid funds to patients.

Situation in Karakalpakstan

In Karakalpakstan, specialists studied pricing methods at seven medical institutions for the period from 2023 to 2026. The inspection revealed that some institutions included profit tax in the cost of medical services, despite being entitled to tax benefits. Others applied tariffs higher than established norms. These violations led to an unjustified income of 331.7 million soms.

Cases have been initiated against six institutions, and they have been ordered to return this amount to consumers. One institution received a letter demanding a review of tariff calculations. Following the measures taken, prices for certain paid medical services decreased by an average of 16.22%.

Violations in Samarkand Region

Violations were found at a branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Oncology and Radiology in the Samarkand region. According to the Competition Committee, this branch inflated bills for patients by 302.2 million soms, which violates consumer protection legislation and Cabinet of Ministers regulations. The institution has been instructed to rectify the violations and prevent their recurrence.

Problems Discovered in Syrdarya Region

An inspection of the oncology and radiology center in the Syrdarya region showed that over 76 million soms were illegally collected from approximately 4,790 patients in 2025. Furthermore, another violation was found at the regional branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Dermatology, Venereology, and Cosmetology. When calculating the cost of paid services, this institution used an indirect cost allocation coefficient of 47.4%, exceeding the established norm of 38.2%. As a result, consumers were unjustly charged about 300 million soms in 2024 and 2025.

Cases have been filed against the branches in the Syrdarya region, and mandatory orders have been issued to return the overpaid amounts to patients. The Competition Committee stated that it will continue its work to protect consumer rights and prevent unjustified price increases for paid medical services.

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The Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Rights Protection initiated this inspection. It aims to study the legality of the tariff increases and identify potential violations of antitrust legislation.

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Customs fee for international courier shipments in Uzbekistan will decrease by 20% starting November 1, 2026

Starting November 1, 2026, the customs fee rate applied to international courier shipments in Uzbekistan will be reduced by 20%. This change was established in a decree by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which was issued on October 12, according to a report from the Ministry of Justice's legal information channel.

Previously, starting May 4, 2025, the country had a customs fee of 2% of the basic calculation unit (BCU) for each kilogram of gross weight. With the current BCU at 440 thousand soms, this fee amounted to 8,800 soms per kilogram.

After the 20% reduction in the rate, the fee will be 1.6% of the BCU, equivalent to 7,040 soms per kilogram. For example, when sending a 5 kg package, the fee will decrease from 44 thousand to 35,200 soms, and for a 10 kg parcel, the fee will drop from 88 thousand to 70,400 soms.

It is important to note that this payment is collected exclusively for the customs clearance of international courier shipments and differs from customs duties applied when exceeding the established limits for duty-free import of goods for personal use.

In addition to the fee reduction, the decree also includes plans for developing the country's transport and logistics infrastructure. By 2030, it is planned to increase the number of international dry ports from the current 24 to 30, as well as to bring the volume of export of transport and logistics services to 3.5 billion dollars and double the capacity of transport and logistics centers designed for container handling.