Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Competition Development and Consumer Protection Committee of Uzbekistan has uncovered an anti-competitive agreement among the owners of 47 compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations in Bukhara region.

According to the committee’s regional office, until 6 December 2024, the retail price of one cubic meter of compressed gas at these stations ranged between 3,850 and 3,950 soums. However, between 7 and 9 December, prices surged to 4,150 soums, marking an 8% increase.

During the monitoring process, data from 85 CNG stations were analyzed to identify signs of anti-competitive agreements or coordinated actions aimed at artificially inflating gas prices.

The investigation revealed that 44 business entities, owning a total of 47 CNG stations, had unjustifiably raised fuel prices without any objective economic reasons, external market influences, or increased costs.

The committee found that the price hikes occurred simultaneously or within a short time frame between 5 and 13 December, allowing station owners to generate additional profits at the expense of consumers.

Due to these violations, a special commission from the committee's regional office has initiated cases against all 44 companies for non-compliance with Article 19 of the Law on Competition.

The violators have been fined and issued mandatory directives to rectify the violations and prevent similar cases in the future.