On June 5, 2026, the Competition Committee of Uzbekistan gave preliminary approval for the acquisition of the OLX classifieds service by a TBC Bank Group entity. The deal was approved with a number of antitrust restrictions.
What Happened
UAE-registered Tapuz Limited is acquiring a 100% stake in OLX Classifieds LLC. The main shareholder of the buyer is TBC Bank Group PLC. The bank previously announced the deal back in August 2025: at the time, it was specified that TBC would gain control over the platform through a joint venture.
Country and Market
Uzbekistan. According to the regulator's press service, the payment service Payme (owned by TBC) and the OLX platform are included in the register of companies holding a dominant position in the digital platform market. As Gazeta.uz writes, the merger of such assets required direct intervention from the antimonopoly authority.
Why It Matters
The regulator has set clear boundaries for the combined ecosystem. The most notable requirement concerns transactions: OLX is obliged to ensure equal conditions for all payment services. The company has no right to force users to pay exclusively through the Payme or TBC Bank mobile applications.
The buyer is also prohibited from unilaterally changing the platform's terms of use and using OLX user data to pressure competitors.
The regulator is showing how it will work with ecosystems: buying a large platform no longer means automatic control over its payment traffic.
What's Next
The deal participants are obliged to fully comply with Article 18 of the Law "On Competition" and the current Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 256 on digital platforms. A special commission of the Competition Committee will monitor compliance with the orders.