Photo: cap.ru
Starting July 1, Uzbekistan will transfer oversight functions for individual housing construction to the private sector. The change was outlined in a decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on April 14, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The decree is part of a broader effort to reorganize the country’s system of state oversight in construction and utilities management. Under the new policy, private companies will be responsible for supervising the construction and reconstruction of small-scale non-commercial buildings, including private homes up to two stories high, no taller than 12 meters, and no larger than 500 square meters, as well as non-residential buildings up to 300 square meters in size.
Once construction is completed, project organizations will issue compliance assessments through the “Shaffof Qurilish” (“Transparent Construction”) system. These assessments will be submitted to clients and are required before commissioning. District and city departments of construction and utilities will issue operating permits, but only if the project has undergone proper oversight and has received a project organization’s report.
The decree also establishes an independent inspection authority for construction and utilities, which will operate as a separate national executive body. The government plans to fully digitize oversight functions related to construction, apartment building management, water supply, and sanitation services, with the private sector assuming greater responsibility.
👉 Beginning May 1, inspections at construction sites under contracts between entrepreneurs and local inspectors will be governed by the terms of those contracts, eliminating the need to register activities in the “Unified State Oversight” system. Inspectors will be prohibited from interfering in the financial or business operations of companies.
👉 Starting July 1, a technological audit will become mandatory for water and sewage systems. Regional centers for online monitoring of construction sites will be established, and inspectors will be equipped with body cameras and tablets. As part of a pilot program, new sites in the Kashkadarya region will be outfitted with surveillance cameras.
👉 Beginning September 1, all construction projects will be required to display QR-coded passports containing details about the developer, project timelines, and expert reviews.
👉 Structural changes and alterations to load-bearing walls will be prohibited during renovations and reconfigurations of apartment buildings. Any work that poses a risk to a building’s seismic integrity will also be banned.
Uzbekistan’s population is expected to reach 40 million in the near future, creating a need to build 140,000 to 150,000 new housing units annually. These projects will require approximately 2,000 hectares of land. Due to limited land resources, the government plans to launch a renovation initiative. In the first phase, designated urban and regional areas will be selected for redevelopment, where older housing will be replaced with high-rise buildings. Homeowners will be offered either a new apartment or financial compensation. The second phase will see regional and national councils approve a comprehensive action plan, after which experts will select the construction companies responsible. The third phase will involve large-scale development and the commissioning of new housing.
