Uzbekistan: Utilities Hiked Again in Tashkent

The cost of water and heating in the Uzbek capital Tashkent are going up for the second time in six months. The combination of hikes mean that capital residents will be paying 20 percent more as of April 1 for basic utilities than they were last October.

For many Uzbeks, the charge for heating is based on the size of a household. Customers for most of 2008 paid 17 cents per square meter per month for heating. In October, cost was increased to 19 cents per square meter. As of April 1, the price will be 21 cents per square meter, the newspaper Vesti reported March 18.

The cost of hot water will rise to 67 cents per cubic meter. Homes without a water meter will pay a flat rate of $2.21 per person per month. In 2008, the cost was 54 cents per cubic meter of water before rising in October to 62 cents per square meter. Un-metered water use was $1.78 per person before it rose to $2.04 per person per month in October.

The minimum wage in Uzbekistan is $17 per month. According to the Asian Development Bank, 57 percent of Uzbek families have five or more children.