President Mirziyoyev heavily criticizes railway monopoly

During a meeting with entrepreneurs, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the need to end the monopoly established by Uzbekistan Railways in the railway sector and sharply criticized local leaders.

“If no competition enters the private sector, the railway monopoly will not disappear, neither the quality will change, nor the price will decrease.

We’ve learned over five years, we still have a lot of work to do on digitization. I have brought specialists from Germany, but railway executives try to overtake the Germans as well.

One or two unscrupulous people say let them come and learn from us. It is hard... But now, if the worldview of such executives as the chairman of Uzbekistan Railways JSC Khusniddin Khosilov does not change, I will have to replace him. Therefore, he will be tested for another year.

There are large logistics companies in big countries. You will bring them to Uzbekistan and they will compete. Then they will make it cheaper, faster, better quality to destroy your monopoly,” the head of state said.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Anti-Monopoly Committee, was instructed to revise the railway tariffs within two months.

“The current tariffs for entrepreneurs to import non-domestic raw materials should be cheaper at least by 25%.

Also, the Ministry of Transport will announce the cost of each service and its content to the general public from January 1 next year.

The railway industry needs more than 7,000 freight cars for the next 5 years. This problem can be solved positively not only by the state, but also by the involvement of the private sector, just like the production of electricity or cement.

Therefore, next year, next year, the activities of private logistics operators with their own wagons and containers will be launched and tariffs will be split in two.

At the same time, the state regulates only railway infrastructure and locomotive services, while freight car services are organized on the basis of market principles.

Therefore, the benefits provided to private entrepreneurs for the supply of railway cars will be extended until January 1, 2025,” the President said.