Procedures for imposing financial penalties on businesses to be improved

The Senate Committee on Budget and Economic Affairs discussed the Law “On introducing amendments and addenda to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan aimed at regulating the imposition of financial penalties, appeals against such penalties, and the refund of unlawfully collected funds”.

The law improves procedures for imposing financial penalties on legal entities, paying fines, and appealing related decisions. In particular, if a legal entity acknowledges a violation, a decision to impose a fine must be issued within five working days. If 50 percent of the fine is paid within one month of receiving the decision, the remaining amount will be waived. The law also allows fines to be paid in installments. If a legal entity disputes the violation, the matter will be considered by a court. Filing an appeal suspends enforcement of the decision, while unlawfully collected funds must be refunded within 15 days.

The law also establishes procedures for drawing up a violation report in the presence of a representative of the legal entity. If the representative refuses to sign the report, the refusal must be documented by video recording or confirmed in the presence of witnesses.

During the meeting, it was noted that these amendments would help establish a uniform procedure for imposing financial penalties, protect the rights and legitimate interests of businesses, and reduce their financial burden.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA