Representatives of Legislative Chamber, Cabinet of Ministers, ministries and departments, Uzbekneftegaz and others participated at the event.

It was said that oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan developed fast in last decade. Uzbekistan meets internal demand for oil and gas in domestic market and strengthened its authority in global oil and gas market. One of main goals of the sector is to ensure internal market with natural and liquefied gas. It was noted that Uzbekistan should carry out modernization to ensure rational use of natural gas at gas distribution systems and avoid illegal use of gas by businesses and population.

The participants underlined that there is need to develop legislative acts to improve regulation of gas supply system and created conditions for effective, reliable and save supply of gas to population and businesses. Currently, gas market is regulated only with resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers and by-laws and there is no single law, which would regulate gas supply issues in Uzbekistan.

It was said that countries like USA, Great Britain, Norway, Russia, Romania and other have laws to regulate gas supply market. Based on existing experience, Uzbekistan developed a draft law “On gas supply”.

The document determined legal, economic and organizational basics of gas supply, as well as state policy in the sector, rights and responsibilities of gas suppliers and consumers.

The draft law is directed at ensuring safety of gas supply system, regulating rational use of gas, relations between gas transport organizations and local authorities, eliminating illegal gas use, etc.

Participants noted that adoption of the corresponding law will improve payment discipline and strengthen rational use of gas. In the result of the meeting, participants adopted recommendations on further improvement of the document.