Why is this important
Electricity and gas reimbursement directly impacts the financial burden of low-income households, especially in the face of rising utility costs. The ability to apply online reduces barriers to accessing social support and decreases citizens’ reliance on in-person visits to offices. Automated application processing makes the subsidy distribution system more transparent and predictable.
What happened
- The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has adopted a resolution allowing needy families to apply for compensation for electricity and gas expenses online.
- The document approves the administrative regulations for the service of reimbursing the difference between tariffs for electricity and gas consumption within the social norm and in excess of the established limit.
- The resolution allows for independent applications for compensation and expands the methods for submitting applications, including electronic channels and applications through a mahalla social worker.
- Applications are reviewed automatically through the Unified Register system, with a decision being made to award or refuse compensation.
Numbers and facts
- Applications can be submitted by the 16th of each month through the Unified National Social Protection system, the Unified State Information System, the State Services Center, or through a mahalla social worker.
- Families included in the Social Register are automatically recognized as recipients of subsidies.
- Households with a per capita income below 1.5 minimum consumer expenditures (1,003,500 soums) are also eligible for compensation, provided they meet the criteria of “poor families” or “families on state support”.
- The basis for refusal is the presence of a serviceable passenger car less than 12 years old (or 7 years old if there are persons in the family with disabilities of groups I-II or with a disability since childhood), as well as a truck or special transport less than 15 years old.
- The payment is not assigned if there are two or more cars, two or more real estate properties, or at least one non-residential property, or if a subsidy has already been assigned for the same month.
- By the 5th, the National Agency for Social Protection sends a list of recipients to the People’s Bank of Uzbekistan; funds are transferred by the 25th and credited to recipients’ cards by the 27th.
- The Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan and the National Agency for Social Protection must organize the electronic submission of applications by February 1.
Context
- The new procedure makes receiving compensation for electricity and gas more convenient and digital.
- For families in need, this simplifies access to payments and reduces decision-making time.
- For the state, this is a step toward automating social support and more precisely targeting assistance.
- The adopted resolution expands digital channels and strengthens the role of automatic registries in the allocation of subsidies.
