President accuses Sanepid Committee of failing to support entrepreneurs

Investors entering Uzbekistan are raising concerns that many of the country's laboratories do not meet international standards, and that the standards of developed nations are not recognized. This issue was brought up on April 18 during a videoconference chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, focused on mitigating the impact of global economic shocks on Uzbekistan’s sectors and industries.

The meeting emphasized that outdated regulations and bureaucracy in the country’s standardization and certification system “tie the hands” of entrepreneurs and create fertile ground for corruption.

It was reported that more than 25,000 standards and 41 technical regulations in Uzbekistan are not aligned with international market requirements. Currently, 6,500 out of approximately 13,000 product types require mandatory certification, which significantly raises costs.

“When have ministers or governors sat down with entrepreneurs to discuss which standards need to be updated or canceled, and which products should be removed from the list of those requiring mandatory certification? Unfortunately, there is no positive answer to this,” the President said firmly.

It was also noted that certification bodies currently oversee market control, creating a clear conflict of interest.

The President outlined several problems within the certification system and proposed specific solutions.

For instance, enterprises involved in the production of dairy and meat products have expressed dissatisfaction with the process of obtaining a Sanepidkom (Sanitary-Epidemiological Committee) conclusion for their goods.

To illustrate, Uzbekistan annually imports $100 million worth of baby food. Yet, entrepreneurs who have invested in modern equipment and built state-of-the-art facilities cannot begin production simply because the Sanepidkom has not issued a conclusion—and there is no existing standard on which to base such a conclusion.

The Committee leadership was criticized for failing to take the initiative to create new standards in cooperation with entrepreneurs. Instead, officials have passively claimed, “We don’t have a standard for this product.”

Moreover, some district sanitary and epidemiological services continue to demand separate testing of differently packaged batches of the same product, causing unnecessary delays and increased costs.

This raises the question: how does the packaging of the same product, prepared at the same time, in different volumes, affect its quality?

Mineral water producers are also required to obtain certification for 45 separate indicators. Of these, 43 are tested within Sanepidkom laboratories, while the remaining two require entrepreneurs to seek out other testing facilities.

At the meeting, the Committee was instructed to streamline the process by consolidating all inspections in one location.

To verify the quality of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, exporters currently must visit three different organizations. Worse still, the results from these laboratories are not accepted in developed countries.

As a result, exporters are forced to send product samples abroad to obtain certification before entering high-value markets.

The President criticized the authorities for failing to establish a single internationally accredited laboratory, noting that the outdated, one-size-fits-all approach to certification remains unchanged.