BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. Uzbek President
Shavkat Mirziyoyev dismissed the country's energy minister and the
head of Regional Electric Networks after criticizing persistent
inefficiencies in the energy sector, warning other senior
executives they could also lose their jobs unless performance
improves by the end of the year.
This was reflected in the statement published by the official
channel of the Press Secretary to the President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan following a government meeting on the industry's
priorities.
Speaking at a government meeting on the fuel and energy sector,
Mirziyoyev said electricity network losses remain high despite
significant investment in infrastructure modernization.
According to the president, electricity losses stand at 17.2%,
with 4.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity lost during the
first six months of the year. Losses exceed 25% in Andijan city and
the districts of Asaka, Yangiobod, Koson, Kokdala, Boysun,
Oltinsoy, Kushtepa, Toshloq, Kushrabot and Samarkand.
Mirziyoyev also criticized the implementation of automated
electricity and gas metering systems, saying that more than four
years after their introduction, 300,000 gas meters and 234,000
electricity meters installed in households still fail to transmit
data to the network, contributing to rising consumer debt in some
regions.
The president said many officials continue to equate energy
efficiency solely with installing solar panels, while overlooking
the need to improve the energy performance of buildings.
Mirziyoyev also criticized the planning of a combined-cycle gas
power plant in Surkhandarya Region, saying the selected site would
require an additional $300 million to build gas supply
infrastructure. He said the project's contractual terms had not
been sufficiently reviewed, creating the risk of further costs, and
instructed officials to renegotiate the agreement.
As part of the shake-up, Mirziyoyev dismissed the energy
minister and the head of Regional Electric Networks over what he
described as serious shortcomings in the sector.
The heads of the National Electric Networks, Thermal Power
Plants, Transgaz, and Hududgaz companies were placed on probation
until the end of the year and warned they would also be dismissed
if they failed to deliver results.
Mirziyoyev said newly appointed Energy Minister Sherzod
Khodjaev, the new head of Regional Electric Networks Sardor
Isaqulov, and the new chief of the Energy Inspectorate Akhad
Isaqjonov must immediately introduce a new management approach.
"Regional governors also have no right to sit back and say,
'This is the energy sector's responsibility.' They will be held
accountable as well," Mirziyoyev said.
The personnel changes come as Uzbekistan seeks to modernize its
energy infrastructure and improve the reliability of electricity
and gas supplies amid rapidly rising demand driven by economic
growth, industrial expansion and population increases.
