The law has entered into force: illegal use of electricity, heat, gas or water for commercial purposes qualifies as theft

The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Law No. 822 of 13.03.2023) amended and supplemented the Code of Administrative Responsibility and the Criminal Code

In particular, according to the amendments to the Criminal Code:

• unauthorized connection to electric, thermal, gas or water supply networks of public use for commercial purposes or damage to metering devices of electric energy, natural gas, cold or hot water, including their seals, or interference with metering devices from the outside in order to change their indicators was recognized as theft, and for the commission of the specified offense may be assigned punishment in the form of imprisonment up to 5 years.

Also, according to the amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility, the following administrative penalties may be applied to persons who have committed this offense in a small amount:

• a fine in the amount of 10 to 20 BRV (from 3 to 6 million soums);
• or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.