According to the new amendments, for begging on the roads and persistent requests for help in public places, community service is provided for a period of 20 to 30 hours or arrest for up to three days. For repeat offenses, community service may be assigned for 30 to 40 hours or arrest for three to five days.
In addition, the draft law proposes to introduce a fine of 20,000 soms for involving vulnerable groups in begging, such as the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with mental disorders, and people with disabilities.
If a foreign citizen is caught begging or involved in it, they may be deported from the country for repeat offenses within a month after enforcement measures are applied to them.
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that the problem of begging in Bishkek and Osh is becoming increasingly relevant, with statistics on this issue rising each year.
Some deputies expressed their concerns regarding the new regulations. Ulukbek Uzakbaev, for instance, asked whether the police would start targeting those who collect funds for children's medical treatment. He suggested clarifying the differences between charity and begging in the draft law.
Another deputy, Bolot Ibragimov, proposed applying existing measures for traffic violations to those beggars who obstruct vehicle movement on the roads.
As a result of the discussion, the deputy minister promised to make changes to the draft law before the second reading, and the committee members approved the concept of the document at the first stage.
