According to the proposed amendments, for begging on the roadway and persistent solicitation in public places for the purpose of obtaining money or other valuables, penalties will include community service for a period of 20 to 30 hours or detention for up to three days. Repeat offenses will be punished more severely: community service of 30 to 40 hours or detention from three to five days.
Additionally, the code proposes to introduce liability for involving vulnerable categories of citizens in begging, such as the elderly, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and those suffering from mental disorders. The fine in this case will amount to 20,000 soms.
If a foreign citizen is caught begging or being involved in it, they will be deported from the country after a repeat offense within a month, according to the new rules.
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that the problem of begging in Bishkek and Osh is becoming increasingly relevant, with statistics rising each year.
Some deputies expressed caution regarding the proposed norms. For example, Ulukbek Uzakbaev questioned whether this would lead to penalties for those collecting funds for children's treatment and advised clarifying the differences between charity and begging in the draft law.
Deputy Bolot Ibragimov suggested using existing measures to punish those obstructing traffic on roads to combat beggars in similar situations.
After the discussion, the Deputy Minister promised to refine the draft law for the next reading, and the committee members approved the concept of the document in the first reading.
