The issue of reintroducing cash payment for alcoholic beverages at catering establishments, cafes, restaurants, and hotels in Uzbekistan is under discussion.
This topic was raised during an open dialogue with industry entrepreneurs held on April 21. Entrepreneurs attending the meeting emphasized that the current cashless-only payment system is causing difficulties, especially when dealing with foreign tourists.
The head of the State Tax Committee, Farrukh Polatov, responded to this issue, stating that a solution will be found soon and the current procedure will be reviewed. According to him, inconvenient situations are arising for customers due to certain technical and organizational shortcomings.
"This is our fault, our oversight. We are working on this and will present a solution in the coming days – we will fix it," he said.
Although cash payment is possible for food under the current system, the fact that alcoholic beverages are sold only via bank cards is causing inconvenience. It was noted that this situation is also causing misunderstandings for tourists.
The head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Davron Vahobov, also stressed that this regulation is negatively impacting the tourism sector. According to him, there have been instances where some tourists have refused services and left the country due to their inability to pay in cash:
"If a foreign tourist wants to buy alcoholic drinks at a hotel with cash, they have to go to the bank to open a Uzcard or Humo card. As a result, a tourist who wanted to drink might lose the desire and end up boarding a plane and returning home."
It is reported that the State Tax Committee has prepared a draft document on this matter. According to it, both cash and cashless payment methods are planned to be introduced for alcoholic beverages in restaurants and hotels. The document is currently in the negotiation stage with relevant authorities.
We remind you that starting from April 1 of this year, Uzbekistan introduced a cashless-only payment system for the sale of alcoholic and tobacco products. The new initiative aims to partially soften this regulation.
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