The Committee for Competition Promotion and Consumer Rights Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan has launched an investigation into several commercial banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs) for violating financial services advertising legislation, according to the regulator's press service on July 15, 2026.
Nature of Advertising Violations
According to the committee, a significant portion of illegal advertising materials distributed through social networks, the internet, and mass media originates from the financial sector. The supervisory body noted that such advertisements often contain inaccurate or misleading information aimed at consumers.
In particular, advertising materials concerning deposits and loans frequently omit critically important details, such as interest rates, minimum client requirements, and offer validity periods. Similarly, microloan advertisements regularly fail to disclose mandatory intermediary commissions, insurance premiums, and other associated payments. In some cases, advertisers present key terms and conditions in an extremely condensed, vague, or illegible format.
Unacceptability of Deceiving Consumers
Furthermore, the agency discovered instances where advertisers used ambiguous language, exaggerated benefits, or integrated registered trademarks and names of competing organizations. The Committee ruled that such actions directly contradict the consumer's right to receive full and accurate information about financial products.
According to Article 43 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan 'On Advertising,' advertisers are obliged to fully disclose the essential terms of financial service agreements. The law strictly prohibits exploiting consumer trust or using their lack of experience or knowledge for personal gain.
Sanctions and Regulator Warnings
The regulator reported that financial sanctions have recently been imposed for violations of advertising legislation on more than 20 commercial banks and microcredit organizations. The investigations involved major entities, including cases initiated against JSC 'Anor Bank', JSC 'Tenge Bank', JSC 'Agrobank', Ipoteka Xizmati Group LLC, and Tasfinance Mikromoliya Tashkiloti LLC.
The Competition Committee strongly urged all market participants to ensure that financial service advertising materials contain complete and accurate information in a clear and accessible format. The regulator emphasized that the use of hidden text, overly small fonts, or color schemes blending with the background to conceal offer terms is strictly prohibited.
