Article 18. Mining of Precious Metals and Precious Stones

Artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones shall be carried out by individuals and legal entities that have received a permit for the right to use subsoil plots for the activity of artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones (hereinafter referred to as artisanal mining entities).

Permission for the right to use subsoil plots for the activities of artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones shall be issued by the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources following the results of an electronic auction.

A permit for the right to use subsoil plots for carrying out activities for the artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones shall be issued to citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan and legal entities registered in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Requirements for the founders (participants) of legal entities engaged in artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones shall established by legislation.

Transfer (assignment) of the right to use a subsoil plot (in whole or in part) for the activities of artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones (in whole or in part) to third parties shall not be allowed to, as well as issuance of a permit for the right to use one subsoil plot to several persons.

Precious metals and precious stones extracted from the subsoil by entities carrying out extraction by the prospectors' method, with the exception of nuggets of precious metals not subject to refining and unique precious stones, shall be realized at a contractual price to the following:

precious metals - to refineries, as well as business entities that have the right to production of jewelry and other products from precious metals and precious stones or for work with precious metals;

precious stones - to business entities that have the right to manufacture jewelry and other products from precious metals and precious stones or to work with precious stones.

Incomes legally received from the sale of precious metals and precious stones extracted by the artisanal method shall be the property of the subjects of artisanal mining.

Concealment of mined precious metals and precious stones, including their non-sale within six months, as well as violation of the requirements for safe work, resulting in serious bodily injury or death of a person, shall be grounds for termination of the right to use subsoil plots for artisanal mining of precious metals and precious stones in the manner prescribed by legislation.