The Special Commission of the Competition Committee has conducted a thorough investigation into the activities of propane importing entities, uncovering significant violations during exchange trades in November and December 2025, as well as January 2026. The probe revealed that certain companies deliberately manipulated the market by unjustifiably raising starting prices and artificially withholding product volumes from the exchange to drive up costs.
Thanks to the prompt and decisive measures taken by the committee, the artificial pressure on the market was successfully alleviated. As a direct result of these interventions, the price of propane has been reduced by up to 21 percent, providing much-needed relief to consumers and stabilizing the local energy market.
During the extensive inspections, it was established that a total of 31 business entities had violated the requirements of the Law on Competition. The investigation highlighted that several companies engaged in anti-competitive, coordinated actions during exchange trades. According to the Special Commission's findings, 12 of these companies actively colluded to restrict market competition. In other instances, entities bypassed the exchange entirely, opting to sell their products through direct contracts in clear violation of legal requirements.
Furthermore, the unjustified inflation of starting prices by specific subjects was identified as a primary driver of the artificial price surges in the market. To address these severe infractions, financial penalties have been imposed on all 31 violating entities. The total amount of fines levied against these companies reached 28.9 billion UZS.
In addition to the substantial fines, a formal decision was made requiring the companies to return 34.1 billion UZS of unjustifiably acquired funds to the state budget. To ensure long-term compliance and market fairness, the Competition Committee has also issued mandatory instructions to these entities, strictly prohibiting the recurrence of such anti-competitive practices in the future.
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