In 2024, the Competition Committee received 139 inquiries regarding transactions related to economic concentration. This was reported by the agency's press service.
Of these, 31 applications concerned the approval of mergers and acquisitions of business entities. In the remaining 108 cases, the focus was on the approval of the purchase of significant stakes or share packages in companies.
The Committee approved 96 of the submitted inquiries, while in another 37 cases, approval from the regulatory body was not required. However, six applications regarding economic concentration transactions were rejected.
Among the approved transactions, the majority were in the trade and services sector (22) and the construction industry (15). Nine operations were also approved in the IT and electronic platforms sectors, seven in the energy sector, and six in the industrial sector.
The total volume of mergers, acquisitions, and stake purchases amounted to 18 trillion sums. Of this amount, over 17% (3.1 trillion sums) was attributed to foreign investors' shares.
For instance, in December, the Committee approved the transfer of 100% of the IT company Itransition to a new parent structure in London. The purchase of shares in two companies in the agricultural sector by the Tashkent firm Mall Estate was also approved.
At the same time, the regulatory body imposed a fine on Orient Group Management and UzOman due to an unapproved transaction involving the purchase of shares in the logistics company Highway Logistics Center. Later, the parties reported that the issue had been resolved.
Additionally, UzOman became the owner of 72% of Optimum Invest Corp, which manages the Tashkent hotel Ramada Encore. The developer Grand Capital acquired the shopping center "Depo Mall."
Earlier, Spot reported that last year, the Competition Committee received over 500 complaints regarding educational centers.