Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Between January and March 2025, the Committee for the Development of Competition and its regional branches received more than 355 complaints from citizens concerning issues in the construction sector.

The majority of the complaints involved poor-quality construction and repair work, unjustified charges for services not actually provided, and various problems related to utilities and maintenance.

Out of the total number of complaints, 107 concerned the quality of construction and renovation work, 63 related to cases in which citizens were charged for services that had not been rendered, and 180 pertained to other violations in the utilities sector.

Following an investigation into these complaints, the Committee took consumer protection measures that resulted in the reimbursement of 1.9 billion soums to affected citizens.

In one case, a citizen identified as A.B. reported the purchase of an apartment in an under-construction residential building on Jarkurgon Street in the Yashnabad district of Tashkent. He had paid 387 million soums for the property. However, despite more than a year having passed since the payment, construction had not commenced. Frustrated by the delay, A.B. decided to terminate the contract and signed the termination agreement on 24 February 2025. Nevertheless, the developer failed to return the payment for various reasons.

A subsequent investigation by the Committee confirmed that the construction company had violated the terms of the contract: the project had been altered, construction had not begun, and the funds had not been returned to the buyer as of 17 March 2025. As a result of the Committee's intervention, the full amount of 387 million soums was refunded to the complainant.