The Tax Committee of Uzbekistan has temporarily postponed the requirement for the aggregation of water and non-alcoholic beverages.

The requirement came into effect on November 1, but on October 30, the Association of Non-Alcoholic Beverage and Juice Producers of Uzbekistan (UzBev) requested the Tax Committee to postpone the implementation of the aggregation phase for marked goods.

In a letter to the chairman of the Tax Committee, Sherzod Kudbiyev, representatives of the Association highlighted the challenges of the current stage of digital labeling (serialization) and the industry's unpreparedness for the second phase - aggregation, including the lack of readiness among equipment suppliers, integrators, distributors, and retail points.

Business representatives requested a meeting before November 1, while the requirement had not yet come into effect. The Tax Committee reviewed the Association's letter and agreed to hold a meeting in the second decade of November, citing the need for thorough preparation to provide accurate responses and well-reasoned explanations.

The agency noted that until this meeting, "considering the transfer of large data to the new servers of the tax authorities, the mandatory requirements for the aggregation of water and soft drinks will not be enforced."

Aggregation is the second phase of product labeling. It involves assigning an identification number to an entire group of goods - a block or even a whole pallet. This is necessary to reduce scanning time during the shipment of goods to participants in the turnover. Aggregation is essential for wholesale trade.