transport

Afrosiyob transports over 180,000 passengers in 2014

High speed train Afrosiyob, which runs between Tashkent and Samarkand, transported over 180,000 passengers in 2014, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov said at the session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan on 16 January.

High-speed train Afrosiyob started to carry out regular trips between two cities from 8 October 2011. From 13 February 2012, the train started to run between two cities each day.

Afrosiyob train, produced in Spain by Patentes Talgo S. A., runs at the speed of 250 kmh and passes the 344 km distance between Tashkent and Samarkand in two hours.

Total capacity of the train makes up 257 people. The electricity train consists of two locomotives, 8 passenger cars and one dining-car. The train has VIP, first class and economy class places. The trains can be used by people with limited abilities.

(Source: UzDaily.com)

e-government

Online Opportunities – egov

The creation of an e-government in Uzbekistan will help take the government’s relations with the society and citizens to a new level.

The vector of development in 2015 will be determined by a working group, set up late last year, composed of specialists of the Center for the Development of an E-Government System and members of governmental bodies. The working group has involved 60 administrations of Tashkent City and Tashkent Region Mayors’ Offices, where it revealed ten overloaded administrations in both the areas.

“The first problem was to determine the entire list of services provided by these administrations and classify them. Thus far, around 35 primary interactive governmental services nave been determined. They will be gradually introduced throughout 2015,” said Ikromjon Nasrullayev, head of a department at the Center for the Development of an E- Government System.

At this point, the working group is making a Did on executive authorities as they provide the largest number of services for citizens and business entities. Whether each service is in demand is also determined by the number of applications from the population, businesses and state authorities.

The results of the working group’s efforts, as exemplified by these administrations, are called to reveal the most effective mechanisms for developing an electronic government with subsequent introduction in Uzbek regions. A set of measures to reorganize functional and operational processes are presently on the anvil. The processes in question are those that ensure more efficient interagency procedures by optimizing them based on the ‘single window’ principle excluding duplicating stages.

In the pipeline is automation of several types of services. The process must occur among authorities without an applicant. For example, citizens who reach pension age do not have to provide the necessary documents and waste time standing in the line. The system will carry out the work on its own and will send a notification to a citizen one month before he or she comes of pension age. All that individual has to do is provide an online confirmation of notification receipt.

A need to provide a dialog between authorities and citizens surfaces in the expansion of the number and assortment of governmental services. The Unified Portal now offers a system to discuss the current normative acts, and those being developed, concerning entrepreneurial activities. The system enables anyone to participate in the discussion and leave comments, which are certain to be considered.

Plans for the nearest future include the launch of a service for purchasing a locally made automobile for individuals. At this point it is available for institutions and is in test mode. Any citizen may pick a car make online in any dealer point through their personal cabinet. The system has been designed to process electronic and paper applications at the same time.

Equally important are the removal of infrastructural shortcomings and support of interagency communication, on which the quality and speed of service delivery depends. A corporate governmental network has already been put together that is based on the introduction of a unified system of governmental electronic document circulation encompassing all tiers of public administration. Government websites are checked every three months for conformity with the requirements of phased optimization.

Before making it to the Unified Portal, all the services of authorities go through “re-engineering”, which consists of several stages, including normative and legal provision on the basis of which a general set of measures is determined along with the amount of funding required.

Thus, the expectation is transition to fully transactional services that obviate the need to attend various authorities’ offices, which will contribute to authorities’ more effective operation and to the creation of additional conveniences.

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

Exhibiton

Exhibition of National Products

National festival of arts entitled “Hand made in Uzbekistan”, which was attended by more than 150 handicraftsmen, was held at the metropolitan Gallery of Uzbek Clothes on the initiative of the LLC “Art Life Media”.

In Uzbekistan, substantial work is being carried out under the leadership of President Islam Karimov on careful preservation and enhancement of our centuries-old customs and traditions of national crafts.

Striking evidence of this is the inclusion of the nomination “Best Craftsman” in the “Tashabbus” competition and the organization of various projects, competitions and exhibitions.

In recent years, a strong legal basis for the revival of folk crafts has been created. In accordance with the Resolution of the President Islam Karimov on further support of the development of folk arts, crafts and applied art dated 30 March 2010 opened wide road to entrepreneurship in this field, provides comprehensive support for home-based work.

The main purpose of this festival is the careful preservation and continuation of traditions of national crafts, support of craftsmen and the development of their activities.

Carvings, pottery, jewellery, gold embroidery, national fabrics, hand and machine embroidery represented at the festival have caused great interest among our compatriots and foreign guests.

“In Uzbekistan I came for the first time,” says Choy Min Hee from South Korea. “I’m interested in ancient cities, historical monuments and traditions of architecture. I was impressed by the examples of folk and applied art products of your craftsmen. I’m very glad, that have got acquainted with the rich history of your nation, unique values and its high culture.”

During the festival, the national folk games, performances of puppet masters, exhibition and sale of handicraft products were organized.

(Source: UzA)

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INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 15