Industrial safety violations could face steeper fines under new draft law
Uzbekistan is considering significantly increasing fines for industrial safety violations and expanding the powers of the mining watchdog as part of a broader effort to strengthen the legal framework governing the extraction of mineral resources.
A new legislative proposal from the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology seeks to significantly increase financial penalties for breaches of industrial safety regulations within the mining sector. The draft law, currently open for public feedback, aims to refine legal frameworks governing the industry.
Should the draft be enacted, administrative fines for industrial safety infractions would see a substantial rise. The authority to levy these fines would be shared between the Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Committee and the Mining Industry Supervision Inspectorate.
For individuals, proposed fines would range from 3 to 5 base calculating amounts (BCAs), translating to UZS 1.236–2.06 million at current rates and UZS 1.32–2.2 million starting September 1. Officials would face steeper fines of 5–10 BCAs, equivalent to UZS 2.06–4.12 million presently and UZS 2.2–4.4 million from September.
Currently, Article 97 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility imposes fines of 1–3 BCAs (UZS 412,000–1.236 million) for individuals and 3–5 BCAs for officials.
The draft also introduces higher penalties for repeat offenses occurring within a year. Individuals would be fined 5–10 BCUs, an increase from the current 5–7 BCAs, while officials' penalties would stay at 10–15 BCAs. Based on the current BCU, this amounts to UZS 4.12–6.18 million, rising to UZS 4.4–6.6 million from September 1.
Furthermore, the proposed amendments address violations related to the accounting, storage, and use of explosive and radioactive materials, as outlined in Article 98 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. Fines for individuals would increase to 3–5 BCAs, and officials would face penalties of 5–10 BCAs.
For repeat violations in this category, individuals would incur fines of 5–10 BCAs, while sanctions for officials would remain at 10–15 BCAs.
Beyond stricter penalties, the draft law would expand the mandate of the Mining Industry Supervision Inspectorate. This agency would gain oversight of the storage and disposal of waste generated during mineral extraction and processing. It would also assume responsibility for licensing the production, storage, transportation, and sale of explosives and detonators.
The public can submit comments and suggestions on the draft law via the government's online portal for discussing draft regulatory legal acts until August 12.