Traffic Safety Dept’s 37 Billion Soum Debt to Postal Service for Fine Notices
Uzbekistan Postal Service Wins Lawsuit Against Ministry of Internal Affairs
Uzbekistan Pochtasi, the national postal service of Uzbekistan, has won a lawsuit against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) Traffic Safety Service over unpaid debts for postal services. According to court documents obtained by Kun.uz, the economic conflict between the two parties was considered in the Tashkent interdistrict economic court on October 20, 2023.
The lawsuit was filed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan in the interests of the postal service. The dispute arose from a service agreement signed between Uzbekiston Pochtasi and the MIA Traffic Safety Department and the Ministry of Communications, where the MIA failed to fulfill its obligations to pay for postal services provided for in the contract.
The total amount of the claim was 37.5 billion soums, and at the first court hearing, MIA officials admitted the existence of the debt and requested more time for reconciliation and the provision of additional documents to the court. However, they did not participate in the last court hearing.
The court partially satisfied the claim based on the testimony of representatives of Uzbekiston Pochtasi and the documents available in the case. As per the terms of the agreement, the postal service provided the MIA Traffic Safety Service with services related to the delivery of traffic violation fines, amounting to a total of 8,903,443 pieces of resolutions, totaling more than 53.42 billion soums. The MIA only paid 15.9 billion soums for these services, leaving a debt of over 37.5 billion soums ($3 million).
The court ruled in favor of Uzbekiston Pochtasi, ordering the MIA Traffic Safety Department to fully repay the debt. Additionally, the court ordered the MIA to pay 750 million soums into the state budget, and collected 45.2 million soums in state duty from Uzbekistan Pochtasi.
In light of this ruling, both parties have the right to file an appeal against the decision within one month.
The lawsuit and subsequent ruling come amidst reports from the Sevimli TV channel of delays in receiving notices of traffic fines in the Samarkand region, leading to difficulties for drivers in taking advantage of benefits for timely payment of fines.
The outcome of the lawsuit highlights the importance of upholding contractual agreements and the obligation of government institutions to fulfill their financial responsibilities.
