During its session on July 14, the Legislative Chamber passed a bill introducing criminal liability for moving citizens into apartment buildings that have not formally been approved for occupancy. The document was passed concurrently through all three readings and has been forwarded to the Senate.
In the address delivered by Deputy Prosecutor General Salom Samadov, he presented the draft legislation. According to him, dedicated working groups conducted a comprehensive nation-wide audit of structural design and building safety inspections spanning a seven-year period.
"Our investigation into high-rise residential properties revealed that 383 apartment buildings were illegally constructed without complying with urban planning documentation, utility connections, or proper registration. Over 20,000 apartments in these properties have already been sold to citizens. A detailed inventory has been compiled for each individual site," he stated.
Furthermore, investigators identified 136 apartment buildings that have not been officially commissioned due to various regulatory violations, yet currently house more than 8,000 residents.
"It must be emphasized that under current law, moving citizens into or residing in multi-family residential buildings that have not been formally approved for operation is strictly prohibited," the Deputy Prosecutor General noted.
Currently, this infraction carries only administrative liability for officials. Under the new law, a repeat offense following an administrative penalty will trigger criminal charges, carrying a penalty of up to one year of correctional labor, or up to two years of restricted freedom or imprisonment.
According to Salom Samadov, a total of 619 million soums in fines have been levied for the uncovered violations, and 2,515 individuals have faced administrative action.
"However, the current enforcement measures have failed to yield the expected results," he stated.
To address this, amendments to the Urban Planning Code propose to explicitly codify the obligation of project developers and contractors to prevent residents from moving into apartment buildings that have not been officially approved for occupancy.
Concurrently, a new provision establishing direct criminal liability for such offenses will be integrated into the Criminal Code.
"We are proposing to supplement Article 229-3 of the Criminal Code with a new seventh part to establish direct criminal accountability. The envisioned penalties include up to three years of correctional labor, or between two and three years of either restricted freedom or imprisonment," the Deputy Prosecutor General announced.
He further noted that the legislation was drafted after a thorough benchmark study of legal frameworks in the United States, France, China, Russia, other CIS member states, and various foreign nations.
"Enacting this law will help prevent the illegal occupation of unfinished apartment buildings and significantly increase accountability among officials regarding matters tied directly to human lives," Samadov concluded.
During the plenary session, the members of parliament raised no questions for the presenter.
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