Uzbekistan's Legislative Chamber has approved a bill proposing a new state honorary title for outstanding utility workers, recognizing their long-term contribution to maintaining essential public services and infrastructure.
The draft law, adopted by deputies on July 1 and forwarded to the Senate, seeks to establish the honorary title "Honored Utility Worker of the Republic of Uzbekistan."
The proposed award would replace the existing honorary title "Honored Worker in Public Utilities, Household and Trade Services of the Republic of Uzbekistan," creating a distinction dedicated specifically to employees in the utility sector.
According to lawmakers, the initiative is intended to recognize years of dedicated service, raise the profession's social status, provide moral encouragement, and promote professionalism, responsibility, and commitment throughout the industry.
Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Ozoda Jurayeva said utility workers provide essential services around the clock, including during holidays, emergencies, and natural disasters, often under difficult working conditions.
She noted that while their work is critical to daily life, it has not always received sufficient public recognition. The new honorary title would allow the state to formally reward employees who demonstrate outstanding professional skills, long-term service, initiative, and contributions to the sector's development.
Sector overview
Jurayeva said Uzbekistan has more than 45,600 apartment buildings containing over 1.6mn households and housing more than 6mn residents.
Around 19,000 employees work for apartment management organizations, while more than 25,000 are employed by municipal improvement departments.
An additional 27,000 employees operate and maintain drinking water infrastructure serving approximately 31mn people through more than 11,400 facilities, 1,390 water distribution stations, and 108,000 kilometers of water supply networks.
The country's centralized heating system serves more than 761,000 households and 2,543 social facilities through 560 boiler houses and approximately 4,000 kilometers of heating networks, employing around 7,000 workers.
