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LATEST NEWS :
NOVEMBER 2009
ARCHIVES |
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Infrastructure Development for the Future Focus on services along the
national highway |
| November 27, 2009 |
Uzbekistan in
2010-2015 will develop roadside infrastructure and services along the
Uzbek National Highway of 2,755 km long.
In accordance with the adopted program of roadside infrastructure and
services along the Uzbek National Highway, it is planed for six years to
build 23 campsites and 28 motels, 75 gas-filling and fueling stations,
59 gas compressing stations, 73 service stations and medical points, 45
sanitation units and 47 sites for short stop.
In accordance with the approved construction requirements, the distance
between campsites and motels will not exceed 100 km, short stop sites –
15-20 km. The recreation areas can be provided with facilities for car
services and trade grounds.
Construction of this infrastructure will be financed by business
entities, regional budgets and the Republican Road Fund.
It should be noted that the development of the program is carried out
under a directive approved in April this year on construction and
reconstruction of sections of roads within the Uzbek National Highway
for 2009-2014.
This program provides for construction of 4 sections by 2015 along
Beineu-Kungrad-Bukhoro-Samarqand-Tashkent-Andijon, Bukhoro-Olot,
Bukhoro-Qarshi-G’uzor-Termiz and Samarqand-G’uzor of 1,501 km long in
aggregate.
In particular, within five years it is projected to build 400 km of
four-lane highway with cement concrete coating, 813 km of four-lane
highways covered with asphalt-concrete, and 288 km of two-lane roads
with asphalt-concrete coating. Construction also includes 7 transport
interchanges and 1,488 meters of bridges and overpasses.
Currently, the total length of roads in Uzbekistan is 146,400 km. Of
these, 42,500 km are highways, including 3,200 km of international and
18,800 km of national importance. Twenty international transport routes
and directions run through Uzbekistan.
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Expanding Beneficial
Cooperation |
| November 27, 2009 |
Annual fairs
of chemical fertilizers, defoliants and other chemical products, and
consumer goods produced by enterprises of the industry, have begun at
the exhibition center of State Joint-Stock Company O’zkimyosanoat.
Currently, companies of the industry produce different chemical
fertilizers, artificial fibers, polymers, inorganic substances, rubber
products, chemical reagents for energy, gold and light industry,
chemical plant protection means, defoliants, film used in agriculture;
totally more than 250 kinds of produce. Dozens of kinds are exported
abroad.
Such fairs have been organized since 2004. The volume of concluded
contracts is increasing every year. The current fair gathered all
enterprises of the industry. In addition to traditional chemical
fertilizers and other chemical products and consumer goods, the fair
presented new types of chemicals and fertilizers. These are carbamide-ammonia
mixture, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer, liquid suspended
phosphorus-containing nitrate, potassium nitrate. The fair is forecast
to result in almost 210 billion soums worth of contracts.
In general, the exposition provides extensive information on the
potential of chemical plants. Exhibited products and goods attracted
great commercial interest from potential buyers, representatives of
various industries in the country.
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Annual Agricultural
Forum Gets Started |
| November 27, 2009 |
Uzagroexpo-2009 opens its doors
The fifth International Agricultural Exhibition, Uzagroexpo-2009,
which brought together about 70 companies from 15 countries and more
than 30 domestic companies, is called in Tashkent.
This forum is organized by IEG Uzbekistan with the official support
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic
of Uzbekistan, Association of Farmers, Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Association of Fat and Food Industry and other
organizations. |
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“The major mission of the exhibition is to create a platform for
effective business communication between producers and manufacturers
providing processing equipment, machinery, as well as specialists from
related industries and government agencies. It is particularly topical
this year since it is one of the practical steps in the implementation
of the state program of the Year of Rural Development and Improvement,”
said manager at IEG Uzbekistan, Noila Muzaffarova.
The current exhibition presented large agricultural machinery, spare
parts and accessories, equipment for cattle and poultry farming,
veterinary drugs, fertilizers, fodder and additives, greenhouse and
production technologies, garden equipment and much more. A large section
demonstrates equipment for food processing and packaging, latest
commercial and refrigeration equipment as well as foods.
The Uzagroexpo-2009 is organized for specialists of the industry and
focuses on regional farmers, entrepreneurs and landowners. Among regular
participants of the exhibition are leaders in agricultural machinery and
all branches of agriculture, representatives of the leading
manufacturers of high-tech equipment for the food industry from Germany,
the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Latvia, Iran, Taiwan, Russia,
Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan.
Not only can visitors of the exhibition see and assess the work of
harvesters, tractors and other machinery in action, but they can learn
about their operation from engineers and specialists, negotiate
acquisition.
Uzagroexpo-2009 presented a specialized section of tea and coffee,
HoReCa-2009. This section is intended for representatives of restaurant
and hotel businesses. The exhibition provided a new tradition of
demonstrations of national traditions of tea drinking in the world and
became a venue for business meetings.
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Candidates
for Members of Parliament Get Registered |
| November 27, 2009 |
517
candidates will run for 135 seats in the Legislative Chamber
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a
session to consider the issue of registration of candidates to deputies
of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis last week.
The commission said it had carefully checked the documents presented by
the political parties for registration of the candidates and their
compliance with requirements of the legislation.
Upon the inspection and in compliance with Article 26 of the Law “On
elections to Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the Central
Election Commission took decision on registering a total of 517
candidates to deputies, including 123 candidates from Adolat Social
Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, 125 from Milliy Tiklanish Democratic
Party of Uzbekistan, 135 from UzLiDeP Businessmen Movement – Liberal
Democratic Party of Uzbekistan and 134 from the People’s Democratic
Party.
It was noted that all steps on nomination of candidates to deputies of
the Legislative Chamber were carried out by political parties in strict
compliance with legislation requirements in the atmosphere of publicity
and transparency.
The lists of registered candidates have been published in local press.
The Central Election Commission held a press conference in its press
center for national and foreign journalists on the same day.
The chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirzo-Ulughbek
Abdusalomov informed mass media representatives about the meeting of the
commission, where they took a resolution “On registration of candidates
to deputies of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan nominated by
political parties”. He noted that the process of nominating the
candidates by the parties was held in full compliance with election
laws.
In accordance with Article 22 of the Law ‘On elections to Oliy Majils of
the Republic of Uzbekistan”, 31.9% of all 517 registered candidates are
female. In particular, 31.7% of candidates from Adolat are women, 32%
from Milliy Tiklanish, 33.3% from UzLiDeP and 30.6% from the People’s
Democratic Party.
A large part of registered candidates to the lower chamber of the
parliament are representatives of the industrial sphere, small and
enterpreneurial business and farmers. Among them are representatives of
the fields of science, education, healthcare, public associations,
economists as well as legal scholars having extensive lawmaking
experience.
Two candidates from the Adolat Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan,
one representative of Milliy Tiklanish Democratic Party of Uzbekistan
and one candidate from People’s Democratic Party were relieved from
participation by the Central Election Commission due to incomplete
presentation of documents specified by the law as well as requests from
political parties.
The election campaigning, an important stage of election process based
on election laws’ requirements, has started after registration of
candidates for deputies. In compliance with the Laws “On elections to
Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan” and Regulation “On the
procedure of using mass media by candidates for deputies, political
parties in the course of election campaigning in the process of
elections to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of
Uzbekistan”, candidates for deputies and political parties are given
equal rights of using mass media. They are provided with all conditions
to meet with their electorate. In accordance with the latest amendments
in elections legislation, political parties conduct meetings with their
electorate independently.
In order to ensure candidates for deputies and political parties
participating in the elections to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis
of the Republic of Uzbekistan with equal conditions of using mass media,
presenting program of their future activity, the CEC specified the
alphabetical order of their addresses in mass media.
Arrangement of equal and broad opportunities for all candidates for
deputies and political parties for fair and open election campaign will
promote ensuring for strong competition on the basis of political
pluralism, they noted at the press conference.
The chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirzo-Ulughbek
Abdusalomov answered all questions of journalists.
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Ensuring Children’s Rights |
| November 27, 2009 |
Twenty years
have passed since Convention on Children’s Rights was adopted.
The Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis held a scientific and practical
seminar on “Juvenile Legislation: Current State and Prospects” dedicated
to the 20th anniversary of Children’s Rights Convention.
The Committee for Democratic Institutes, Nongovernment Organizations and
Citizens’ Self-Governing Bodies organized this event together with
UNICEF Office in Tashkent.
Deputies noted that Convention on Children’s Rights was one of the
important international documents that Uzbekistan acceded in the first
years of independence. Our state takes effective measures for execution
of all regulations in this convention.
As Botir Dadabaev, member of the committee commented, Uzbekistan has a
solid legislative base on children’s rights protection. In particular,
the law “On children’s rights guarantees” basically aims at enhancing
the effectiveness of the existing system of children’s social and legal
protection including orphan children and those deprived of parents’
wardship.
At present, Uzbekistan is party to over 40 international documents
related to children’s rights. The parliament ratified two optional
protocols to the Convention on Children’s Rights and two conventions of
International Labor Organization last year alone.
“The gradual measures on ensuring comprehensive development of the
growing generation taken in the country are aimed at protection of its
health, arrangement of conditions for physical and spiritual development
as well as formation of national consciousness on the basis of universal
values. Not only government but also nongovernmental and noncommercial
organizations work in this realm today. I’d like to note the positive
tendency of the growth in the number of NGOs dealing with children’s
rights protection,” the deputy said.
Seminar participants also made a number of proposals and recommendations
regarding the further improvement of the work in this sphere.
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Important Factor of
Citizens’ Welfare |
| November 27, 2009 |
950,000 new
jobs to be created in 2010
The agenda of the plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis includes
the Employment Program 2010. Ilhom Otabaev, member of the Committee for
Science, Education, Culture and Sport told about basic parameters of the
program.
The Program was developed and introduced to the parliament by the
Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It focuses on
providing for growth in employment, income and living standards of the
population, effective use of the potential of the country’s regions and
sectors of the economy to increase the demand for working force in the
labor market, strengthen the responsibility of the Council of Ministers
of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional, city and district
administrations for creation of jobs and practical solution of
population employment issues.
The Program is based on the results of assessment and analysis of the
current state in the labor market and its forecast by the end of 2009 as
well as measures on the development of economy sectors and the country’s
regions envisaged for 2010 in compliance with the Investment Program,
programs for production localization, modernization, technical and
technological re-equipment of leading sectors and Anti Crisis Program.
The document envisages creation of 950,000 new jobs next year including
over 208,000 home-based jobs, about 62,000 jobs in cooperation with big
industrial enterprises. A special emphasis is placed on the development
of off-work labor in rural areas and mahallas. It is projected to ensure
the employment of over 43,000 rural citizens next year and teach about
10,000 people by the usto-shogird methodology.
It is essential to note the major social significance of this document
in conditions of the global financial and economic crisis and deepening
of market reforms in the country. Joint efforts of not only executive
and representative bodies of authority in all levels, but also public
organizations and business structures is the important factor for
practical implementation of the Program.
Managers of enterprises, state and economic bodies are specially charged
to create new jobs and practical solutions for population employment
issues. Implementation of integrated, targeted measures will make it
possible to solve successfully not only the problems of people’s
employment but also many other pressing socioeconomic issues in regions.
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Priority Tasks for 2010 |
| November 27, 2009 |
Focus on
integrated development of the country.
As we already informed, the 20th plenary meeting of the Senate of Oliy
Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan will take place on December 4. The
State Budget for 2010 is a crucial part of the agenda. Sulaymon Urakov,
member of the Committee for Budget and Economic Reforms, commented on
the priorities of the major financial document.
The State Budget for 2010 was developed for ensuring macroeconomic
stability and high rates of GDP growth, formation of upgraded,
diversified and competitive economy.
As a whole, the State Budget is directed to the further enhancement of
population’s welfare and life standards, integrated development of all
regions as well as gradual and systemic continuation of implementing
important priorities within the program of social and economic progress
of the country.
They include implementation of the Anti Crisis Program on prevention and
neutralization of global financial and economic crisis consequences for
2009-2012 years. Structural reformations and economy diversification
through modernization, technical and technological re-equipment of key
economy sectors oriented to the production of competitive output meeting
international quality standards and demanded both in domestic and
external market, will be continued. Implementation of broad complex of
long-term measures, directed at the radical improvement of the quality
of life and state in rural areas, accelerated development of social and
production infrastructure in rural areas as well as support of farmers’
movement will be extended as well. The development of sectors playing a
major role in ensuring population’s employment and enhancing its living
standards will be accentuated.
We will note that fiscal policy in 2010 will be directed to the further
reduction of tax burden on business entities. Besides, envisaged is the
reduction of income tax rate for individuals from 12% to 11% within the
first taxation scale. Meanwhile, additional preferences will be
introduced within this taxation which will comprise the reduction of
taxable income to the amount of funds paid for study of children aged up
to 26 and voluntarily transferred to the individual saving pensionary
accounts of citizens at the Xalq Banki.
The State Budget builds the unification of flat-sum tax rate for
individuals dealing with entrepreneurship as one of measures to optimize
taxation for individual businessmen. Adoption of this measure with
reduced tax burden on incomes of businessmen dealing with manufacture
and selling their own production.
Measures on social protection of population take the important place in
the State Budget for 2010. Thus, the volume of budget funds for
allowance and material aid for families requiring social support as well
as allowance for people with childhood disability will make up 2.4% to
GDP as opposed to 2.2% in 2009. The country’s key financial document
also includes other measures providing for social support to the
population.
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Long -Term Cooperation in
Prospect |
| November 27, 2009 |
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Polish diplomat on the importance of expanding
economic cooperation.
Counselor–Head of the Division for Trade and Investments Promotion
of the Embassy of Poland in the Republic of Uzbekistan Slavomir
Stshalkovsky has told the press conference in Tashkent about the
state and prospects for trade and economic cooperation between
Uzbekistan and Poland. |
As it was reported earlier, Uzbekistan and Poland have actively
interacted in all key directions of the Uzbek-Polish economic
cooperation in the first half of 2009. These priority spheres include
agriculture, cattle breeding, fruit and vegetables processing, building,
chemical industry and others.
In this connection Slavomir Stshalkovsky said that Uzbekistan continues
to be an important trade partner of Poland among Central Asian states.
Then he added that the volume of mutual trade turnover between the
countries has steadily increased. In 2008 this index made $94.2 million
and in January-September of this year it amounted to $90.4 million.
Today there are 20 joint enterprises operating in Uzbekistan with the
participation of Polish investments.
It should be noted that currently more than 54% of Poland’s export to
Uzbekistan consists of machines, equipments and technological lines of
different purposes; almost 15% are products of chemical industry, and
almost the same figure – cattle export.
For the same period of time the Polish import from Uzbekistan comprised
textiles - 54%. A quarter of the import accounts for mineral products,
about 16% - chemical industry products.
According to Slavomir Stshalkovsky, an important positive factor is
expanding nomenclature of Poland’s both export and import from
Uzbekistan, that could be an evidence of significant potential in
increasing the mutual goods turnover.
The Division for Trade and Investments Promotion of Poland’s Embassy in
Uzbekistan conducts an active work in dissemination of information to
attract Polish firms and companies to Uzbekistan’s market which has a
great potential.
For this purpose, in cooperation with the leading exhibition companies
of Uzbekistan, leading companies from Poland got to take part in
international exhibitions in Tashkent.
Visits by heads of a number of large Polish companies to Tashkent are an
evidence of the increased interest by business circles. Their scope of
interest is mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, cattle
breeding, fruit and vegetable production and processing, food products,
construction and its materials, chemical industry.
In conclusion, Slavomir Stshalkovsky noted that the Second
Uzbekistan-Poland Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation,
held this week in Tashkent, streamlined its work to the analysis of
current state and prospects of bilateral trade and economic relations.
The event was attended by the Minister of Economy of Poland. In his
speech, Ragal Baniak underscored that Poland is interested in expanding
cooperation with Uzbekistan. In particular, the Polish Minister said,
“All conditions for effective cooperation with foreign investors are
created in Uzbekistan. It promotes further development of economic ties
between our states.”
The meeting paid particular attention to cooperation in finance,
agriculture, food industry, construction, transport, tourism and other
spheres. As participants stressed, decisions adopted at the meeting
would indeed convey a new impulse to development and expansion of
long-term mutually beneficial economic cooperation between Uzbekistan
and Poland.
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“Arabic
Manuscripts in Countries of the World” |
| November 27, 2009 |
Is the title
of an article published in Qatari Al Vatan newspaper
In the article the author expounds on scientific and literary
manuscripts at the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Academy of
Sciences of Uzbekistan.
The publication notes that the Oriental Studies Institute named after
Abu Rayhon Beruniy at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan is one of
the most renowned academic institutions of the world that keeps
invaluable scientific and literary works written in many languages of
the world. These manuscripts - the priceless heritage of Islamic science
and culture - are carefully stored in the treasures of the Institute.
The newspaper stresses that in the manuscript collection of the
Institute there are a lot of manuscripts on the history of Islam,
Islamic Studies, Sufism, written in Arabic, Persian, old Uzbek languages
and belonging to the 9-19th centuries.
Here kept is one of the oldest copies of the Koran, which dates back to
the ninth century and is written in kufi. Also the manuscript collection
of the Institute includes excellent lists of the Koran copied in
different centuries by famous calligraphers in nash hand.
“For many years, the Oriental Studies Institute together with their
foreign colleagues has worked tirelessly and diligently to educate the
world community to this treasure of written records, to preserve and
publish materials related to the historical heritage of the state,
flourished for centuries and received new impetus to its development in
modern times, when Uzbekistan gained independence. Among the priceless
scientific and literary heritage stored in the treasures of the
Institute there are manuscripts related to Arab and Islamic heritage,”
the paper concludes.
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Bearing Hand to Southern
Neighbor |
| November 27, 2009 |
On
implementation of transport projects. State Joint-Stock Railway Company
O’zbekiston Temir Yo’llari became General Contractor of a Project in
Afghanistan
Delegation of the State Joint-Stock Railway Company O’zbekiston Temir
Yo’llari has visited the Philippines with a working trip this October.
Uzbek railway officials took part in negotiations held in the general
headquarters of the Asian Development Bank in Manila. In the course of
negotiations the parties discussed issues of signing the contract on
construction of the new Hayraton-Mozori-Sharif railway with total
estimated investments of $129 millions.
The issues of number of operating personnel, machines and mechanisms as
well as simplification of exit and entry procedure and procurement of
visas, customs and border control were also discussed at the
negotiations.
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Igors Apokins: “We Consider the Uzbek Market as Very Promising” |
| November 27, 2009 |
As was reported earlier, a session of Uzbek-Latvian
intergovernmental commission on economic, industrial, scientific and
technical cooperation took place in Tashkent. The main themes of the
present session of the intergovernmental commission are trade and
economic relations as well as close cooperation in transit traffic.
The Minister of Railway Communications of the Republic of Latvia,
co-chairman of the commission Kaspars Gerkhards took part in the
session.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic
of Latvia to the Republic of Uzbekistan Igors Apokins told the UT
correspondent about the outcomes of the session of the Uzbek-Latvian
intergovernmental commission. |
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“Latvia and Uzbekistan are reliable economic partners. Latvia is
steadily the fourth trade partner of Uzbekistan among the EU countries
by the volume of trade turnover.
A constructive dialogue took place during the session of bilateral
commission. It has convincingly demonstrated the parties’ aspiration to
extension and deepening of cooperation. As time has showed, geographic
distance is not a barrier to profitable cooperation.”
As it was noted at the session, Uzbekistan and Latvia have established a
strong legislative basis for bilateral cooperation. The most favored
nation treatment was enacted between the two countries in trade
relations.
But given the huge potential for increasing of mutual trade turnover
both in Uzbekistan and Latvia, we are interested in the further build-up
of mutual profitable long-term economic relations.
Participants of the session discussed the issues concerning the
prospects of cooperation in banking, finance, small business, private
entrepreneurship as well as direct business contacts. They remarked that
in recent years the Latvian capital has been working more actively in
Uzbek market and relations in the financial sector have become more
dynamic. A project in educational realm between the Latvian High Banking
School and the Banking Academy of Uzbekistan has been successfully
implemented practice. It was informed at the session with great
satisfaction.
- How do you assess prospects of development of bilateral trade and
economic relations and cooperation in transit traffic between Uzbekistan
and Latvia?
- Uzbekistan, located in the center of the Great Silk Road, is of
considerable significance for Latvia intent on developing the
cooperation with Central Asia.
It is known that Latvia has traditionally been a transit country between
the West and the East. Considerable part of foreign trade of CIS
countries gets through the ports of the Baltic Sea.
Cargoes have been transported in and out Latvian ports mainly by
railway. Transit carriage by rail consists 85% of all cargoes. It is
mostly transit corridor East-West and dynamic developing transit way
North-South. There are generally oil products, chemical and mineral
fertilizers among cargoes. Container railway traffic from Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan towards the Latvian ports is developing successfully.
In general I would like to say that we estimate Uzbek market as very
promising. The further reinforcement of multilateral economic
cooperation between Uzbekistan and Latvia has great opportunities. This
process is mutually profitable and based on shared interest in expanding
business contacts between entrepreneurs of the two countries.
Regarding business relations between entrepreneurs and manufacturers of
Uzbekistan and Latvia I would like to add that they are developing
constantly and I am glad that business circles are willing to fulfill
joint projects, create joint ventures and establish close direct
contacts.
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Textiles from
Ancient Bukhoro gain markets |
| November 27, 2009 |
South Korea’s
Daewoo International corporation has established a new foreign
enterprise, Daewoo Textile Bukhoro, on the basis of the former
joint-stock society Bukhorotex and invested $52.5 million into it.
Buildings and structures have been reconstructed; the latest production
lines and engineering tools have been installed. Daewoo Textile Bukhoro
is capable if processing 19,500 tons of cotton fiber and produce 16,000
tons of yarn a year. More than 80% of output will be exported.
It should be noted that Bukhoro textile plant was put into operation in
1974. Its estimated capacity used to amount to 10,000 tons of cotton
yarn. Bukhorotex’s capacity was used less than 20% due to dilapidation
of equipment and higher costs for using it.
Daewoo International purchased the first spinning and weaving factory
included in the Bukhorotex complex worth $5.5 million in auction selling
in March 2008.
Daewoo International is also planning to complete the modernization of
Farg’ona Textile Ltd., its second textile asset in Uzbekistan worth $68
million, by the end of 2014. This will bring the enterprise’s production
capacity to 21,600 tons of cotton yarn and 12.3 million running meters
of gray cloth a year.
The government of Uzbekistan declared of the projecting to sell assets
of about 220 bankrupt textile enterprises in early 2006 aiming at
modernization and technical upgrade with financial improvement in the
sector. Foreign investors purchased assets of textile enterprises in
Uzbekistan to the total amount of about $280 million during 2008-2009.
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Stable Electric Power Supply to be provided in Surkhondaryo |
| November 27, 2009 |
A new
transmission line that will be put into commercial operation on December
1 this year, will provide electricity directly to Surkhondaryo region.
Previously, the energy in this region was supplied from the Regar
substation, Tajikistan
Construction and commissioning of a 500 kW power line between G’uzor
substation and Surkhon substation is complete, informed Uzbekenergo. On
November 25 the new transmission line was launched and from 1 December
it will be put into commercial operation. This will provide power
directly to Surkhondaryo region.
One of the weakest links in the energy system of Uzbekistan was until
recently the dissociation of its parts, when the electricity supply to
southern regions of the country was provided from Regar substation in
Tajikistan.
This project is carried out by Uzbekenergo in order to ensure reliable
and continuous operation of the power system of the country.
As a result, the released electricity in Tajik energy system that was
previously directed to Uzbekistan can be used for internal needs of
Tajikistan.
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Electronic Quality to Provide for Production Efficiency |
| November 27, 2009 |
The club
Quality Manager has called a meeting in Tashkent on the eve of World
Quality Day. Introduction and automation of quality management systems
on software basis was the key topic of the event organized by Sert
Akademie Ltd. and Intellect Business Solutions Company.
Over 160 representatives of large enterprises of Uzbekistan such as
Bukhoro and Farg’ona oil refineries, Olmaliq Mining and Metallurgy
Combine, Uzbekhimmash, Energota’mir and others took part in the meeting.
According to Riad Ibragimov, chairman of the club, introduction of ISO
9001 international standard is one of the basic methods of achieving
efficient work by the enterprise. It regulates arrangement and
description of production processes, defines responsibility and
competence areas of participants.
The leading world producers applying requirements and principles of ISO
9001 international standard have appreciated the role of IT automation
in intensification of production efficiency in full.
Automation of financial accounting process carried out using the 1C
program is among well-known examples of IT implementation in Uzbekistan.
It is hard to imagine the accounting work in any organization without
this software.
The influence of the human factor on production processes in Shurtan Gas
and Chemical Complex, Bukhoro and Farg’ona oil refineries is minimized.
Information technologies have long proved their effectiveness at
automation of processes of electronic circulation of documents. It
ensures prompt processing, calculation and monitoring of execution of
officials’ assignments, keeping of incoming and outgoing correspondence,
orders and other documents.
The leading world producers currently tend to introduce automation of
processes of interaction with clients, as well as planning and
resourcing of an enterprise.
The meeting participants were demonstrated the automation of
documentation of the company’s quality management system on the basis of
IBS-LETOGRAF software products. The use of this IT solution, according
to the Sert Akademie Ltd. director Marat Habibulin, enabled them to
provide accessibility and manageability of documents, their safety,
quick search, exclusion of using outdated documents, etc.
The automation of business processes of organization on the basis of IBS
product as well as introduction of electronic circulation of documents
by the example of Uz-Tong Hong Co JV, one of the enterprises in the
machine building industry, arose a noticeable interest of participants.
The last case demonstrated the considerable increase in execution
discipline, the costs for paper reduced by 50% and the possibility of
losing the documents was excluded.
The Archive IT solution was appreciated as well since it makes it
possible to transform the paper documents’ archive into the electronic
one using the modern technology of mass input (scanning) of documents
and applying the system of stroke encoding and identification function.
The system enables them to digitize archives consisting of dozens of
millions of pages in short period of time.
The meeting participants were demonstrated also the latest product by
IBS-BPMS (Business Process Management System) – automated system of
managing all business processes and proving accurate execution of all
actions and operations.
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“Children’s Eyes Reflect The Nation’s Soul” - As The Popular Wisdom Goes |
| November 27, 2009 |
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Sincere, shining, mischievous and trustful as they
are, children look to the world in expectation of kindness. And it
is on us, parents, to make the life of our children secure and
happy, full of love, warmth and joy. There is hardly anything better
than happy childhood. This truly happy childhood has been the
objective of an event that took place at the stage of the capital’s
Istiqlol Palace by laureates of the festival Yangi Avlod (New
Generation), one of the major projects of the “Forum of Culture and
Arts of Uzbekistan” Foundation (Fund Forum). |
Childhood is a peculiar period of enthusiasm and cognition of the
surrounding world, as well as of discovering one’s own talents and
familiarization with high art. Our society places an august emphasis on
all-round and full-fledged development of the growing generation in
order for them to grow up healthy, well-educated, and happy. The
festival Yangi Avlod annually organized by the Fund Forum, is to promote
this concept to a greater extent.
In the wake of independence, concern for young citizens of the republic
became one of the priority areas for the government. These days, a
conception has been developed and effectively implemented on upbringing
a healthy and perfect generation.
It is not accidental that the current festival of children’s creativity
is a tribute to the 20th anniversary of International Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
Juveniles’ rights are effectively secured in Uzbekistan. Adoption of
more than a hundred legislative acts pertaining to international
standards on children’s rights is the basis of that.
The festival Yangi Avlod is one of the major projects of the Fund Forum
on supporting talented youth of Uzbekistan. For the six years that the
project has functioned, more than fifty thousand boys and girls from all
regions of the republic have taken part in the festival. About two
thousand of them became laureates of the festival, received grants,
diplomas and further support from the Fund Forum in their professional
and creative development. The festival supports children in such
directions as music, poetry, literature, and fine art. Boys and girls
having neither special education nor experience to perform at big stages
are under the interest of organizers of the enterprise. Children aged 6
to 14 can participate in the project. According to its officials, this
year over 18 thousand of children, a record number, applied to the
festival. Last year participants numbered about 15 thousand boys and
girls.
“This year, district, city and regional stages of the festival have been
conducted on quite a high level. We traveled across all regions of
Uzbekistan and chose out the brightest kids. Hopefully, we have
succeeded,” says Dildora Jamalova, head of the selection board.
And they did. Wonderful and unforgettable was the gala concert of
finalists of the festival Yangi Avlod that took place at Tashkent’s
Istiqlol Palace. That day the capital’s residents and guests were
granted with much positive energy, making them recall their childhood
years. The evening will stay in the minds of children forever indeed.
Each staging turned into a separate story of children’s joy and
triumphs, where bright and dynamic vocal performances were accompanied
with stirring dances. Uzbek pop-stars came to support winners as well.
The popular Abduhoshim Ismoilov, Samandar, Ravshan Namozov and Rayhon as
well as dance theater Ofarin performed in duet with laureates of the
festival.
Young soccer players of two children’s football academies – junior teams
of Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor - will never forget this evening either.
Samuel Eto’O, a well-known Cameroonian forward of the Italian club
Inter, two-time holder of UEFA Champions League Cup, the best player of
Africa, aspirant to the title The Player of the World 2009, visiting
Tashkent with charity mission, presented the first sport grants to them.
The day proved historic for it gave a start to a new grand project under
the flag of Yangi Avlod festival on the support for youth sports.
“Today we have been presented a genuine holiday of childhood,” say
participants of the festival, Gulvashakar Chorieva, 6, from Bukhoro and
Iroda Yusupova, 13, from Tashkent. “It was splendid and great; we are
very glad to be laureates of Yangi Avlod. This day will be one of the
happiest for sure.”
The brightest festival of children’s creativity Yangi Avlod 2009 has
been brought to its end. 102 laureates in total were determined this
year at all stages of the festival.
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Asian Games 2010 –
Less than a Year to Go |
| November 27, 2009 |
The
Organizing Committee of the 16th Asian Games has started the countdown
of the continent’s largest sports forum
In November 2010, one of the largest cities of China, Guangzhou, will
host participants of the 16th Asian Games. Uzbekistan athletes
understand the importance of these competitions – the prestige of Asian
Games has constantly been increasing on the world arena - and will use
this opportunity to prepare for the 30th Olympic Games in London.
Today’s goal of the National Olympic Committee and all sports
federations of Uzbekistan is to not just be a participant of the
tournament, but take a worthy place in the elite of Asian sports.
One year to the 16th Asian Games, the organizers invited representatives
of all countries of the continent in Guangzhou to an event with a
prosaic title “Conference of missions’ chiefs – heads of sports
delegations”. They managed to make it an amazing show and one can only
guess how spectacular the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2010 will
be.
“After major success of the Beijing Olympics they want to amaze the
world once again with scales of the Asian Games that include
competitions in 42 disciplines, 28 of which are Olympic sports,” told
Malik Boboev, president of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan
after coming back from Guangzhou. “Today, 287 thousand volunteers have
been registered in the country, who are trained to help every sportsman,
trainer, journalist or guest during the Games. The sports forum in
Guangzhou will be the biggest in the history of Asian Games with about
ten thousand athletes competing in it. About 4,000 trainers and
officials will live in the Olympic village together with athletes with a
press village nearby for representatives of mass media. And 14,000 hotel
rooms are planned to host the guests.”
It will be impossible to overwhelm these games in the future: the
program of the 17th Asian Games to be held in the South Korean Inchon in
2014 is cut in half.
All 45 national Olympic committees of the continent responded to the
invitation of the Organizing Committee. Ninety three delegates, along
with leaders of the Olympic Council of Asia, including OCA President
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah discussed a lot of issues -
accreditation, accommodation, meals, transportation and health care,
insurance, protocol, etc. But the most memorable event was the ceremony
of activating the clocks that will count down the time remaining to the
Games for 365 days, second by second. This grand two-hour show was
participated by pianist Richard Clayderman, actor Jackie Chan and other
celebrities. And above all - the head of OCA, Sheikh Ahmad and the
president of the NOC of China, Minister of Sport of China Liu Peng
handed over each delegation an official invitation to the 16th Asian
Games of the Organizing Committee.
In addition, during the ceremony a video report was presented by
participants of the rally “Through the roads of Asia” conducted by the
Organizing Committee - the action that was never implemented by any of
previous Asian Games organizers. It began with visiting 28 countries by
sea and continued with a raid of 16 cars with a team of forty people on
the Great Silk Road. UT had acquainted its readers with the expedition
during their visit to Uzbekistan. This episode of the rally, that
covered 37 states, was also included in the video.
“Apart from having discussions at meetings we visited the sports
facilities of the Games, and most importantly, we visited the future
Olympic Village,” Malik Boboev continued the story. “It is simply
gigantic and consists of four large blocks. Its construction is not
completed yet, but we were able to see ready facilities and even figured
placement options most convenient for our athletes. We expect to achieve
their implementation in the future negotiation process, taking into
account the mutual understanding and cordial relations established
between us and the Organizing Committee of the Games. We will try to
widely participate in the Asian Games, at least in the Olympic sports.
The NOC is considering Asian Games as an important stage of preparations
for London 2012, and all sports federations are set to Guangzhou very
seriously. The fact that there will be an intense and hard struggle for
awards in China is obvious, since the summer Asian Games is the most
prestigious and important event for all the Olympic committees of the
continent. Recently there was an example of this: passion was everywhere
during the Indoor Asian Games in Vietnam. Yet, that passion is nothing
compared to the main Asian Games.”
...Thr Clock activated in Guangzhou every second reminds us that little
time is left for the 16th Asian Games. And we should use this time to
maximum advantage to show a decent result at the major continental
sports forum.
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Asian Championship as
Lighthouse |
| November 27, 2009 |
Men’s Futsal
Championship of Uzbekistan became a bridge connecting the 3rd Asian
Indoor Games past in Vietnam and the upcoming Asian Championship 2010
that will take place in Tashkent for the second time.
Bronze medals won in Ho Chi Minh City again, as was before, in Bangkok,
and Macau, encourage the team to aim at winning nobler place at home.
That might have been the reason to bring Brazilian specialist Sergio
Sapo to work with the first team. And the national championship, which
the overseas coach closely follows, is for the players to show what they
are capable of.
There are 13 teams in Uzbekistan championship. And the first round
showed that the struggle for all positions will be intense. The main
struggle, of course, is for the leadership. As expected, it was
contested between multiple champion Ardus and the championship’s
debutant Bunyodkor. These clubs showed almost equal performance in the
tournament – both have had 11 wins, but Bunyodkor had a better goal
difference (+2). The clash between these teams ended in a 2:2 draw.
When Jahongir Usmonov was asked whether he was disappointed by the
result of this match, because in the course of the game Ardus was in
front twice, he did not answer as the head of the club, but as
vice-president of Uzbekistan Futsal Association: “I am not disappointed
at all. The main thing is that the intrigue is kept for the
championship.”
This intrigue may be supported by Stroitel-Zarafshan and Chirchiq, who
are now 6 and 7 points, respectively, behind the two top teams, and even
Pakhtakor, despite the fact that they started the first round with
defeats. Anyway, any team can make a surprise – that is what they came
here for, to play and to win...
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President Resolves On Eid al-Adha Celebrations Due November 27 |
| November 20, 2009 |
On November
19 this year the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov
signed the Resolution “On celebrating the Kurban-hayit” (the Eid al-Adha)
in Uzbekistan, according to the agencies.
“Taking into consideration the proposal of the Board of Muslims of
Uzbekistan that the first day of Kurban-hayit (the Eid al-Adha)
coincides with November 27, 2009, this day shall be announced a day-off
and broadly marked as a holiday in the country,” – the text of the
document has read.
The Republican funds “Nuroniy”, “Makhalla”, the Public youth movement
“Kamolot” and other relevant agencies and public organizations shall be
tasked with “implementing the necessary measures at the local levels on
the occasion of Eid al-Adha in an organized manner and at high level”.
Also, according to the document, the National Television and Radio
Company of Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan National News Agency, and other
mass media outlets “shall be recommended to broadly cover the events
related to the Eid al-Adha celebrations” in the country.
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Encyclopedia
of Central Asian Scholars in Hindi |
| November 20, 2009 |
The Embassy
of the Republic of Uzbekistan in India has recently conducted a
presentation of a book titled “Encyclopedia of Central Asian Scholars”
published in Hindi.
Prominent representatives of public and political, economic, business
and cultural circles of India, heads of diplomatic missions of foreign
countries and international organizations accredited in the Indian
capital took part in the event.
Speakers stressed that Central Asia, in particular, Uzbekistan, is
well-known to the world by its ancient history, rich cultural heritage,
great scholars and thinkers like Imom Al-Bukhoriy, Imom at-Termiziy,
Bakhouddin Naqshband, Abu Raykhon Beruniy, Ibn Sino, Mirzo Ulugbek, who
significantly contributed to the development of human civilization.
As far as the creation of the Encyclopedia is concerned professor
Zohidilla Munavvarov remarked that the work on the book started in the
late 1990s by the Egyptian scholar, Dr. Abdulla Abdulkhamid Saad. The
academic spent much time at different archives and libraries in order to
summarize information on lives and activities of over 2,700 Medieval
scholars of Central Asia.
As a result of long and tedious work, the book was published in 2007
with the assistance of National Scientific and Education Center named
after Imom Al-Bukhoriy in Uzbek and Arab languages. The book caused keen
increased interest of the foreign public. In 2008 it was republished,
now in Arab and English.
Participant agreed that the publication of “Encyclopedia of Central
Asian Scholars” in Hindi is an evidence of actively expanding scientific
and cultural ties between our nations.
Director of the India-Central Asia Foundation, Professor Nirmala Joshi
pointed out that publication of “Encyclopedia of Central Asian Scholars”
in Hindi is very important, taking into account the fact that the book
is a reliable source of great amount of information about scholars and
figures of Central Asia.
According to cochairman of the India–CIS Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Bal Ram Saini, “publication and presentation of ‘Encyclopedia
of Central Asian Scholars’ in Delhi is a demonstration of two countries’
peoples’ interest in the history, culture, spiritual heritage of each
other”.
Director of the Center of Russian and Central Asian Studies (CRCAS) of
the Jawaharlal Nehru University Ajay Patnaik remarked that the issuance
of this Encyclopedia in Hindi as an important event. He believes “this
is determined, first of all, by the fact that this book is a product of
cooperation between Uzbek and Indian researchers and specialists. Names
of most of scholars included in the Encyclopedia are well-known in India
and I am particularly glad that Indian readers, scholars and researchers
will have a reliable source of information about luminaries of science,
philosophy, religious teachings. Today, the nations of modern Central
Asia develop by capitalizing on their scientific and spiritual
heritage”.
So far, presentations of the Encyclopedia were carried out in a number
of foreign countries, including Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and Algeria.
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ITEC Day Celebrated |
| November 17, 2009 |
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Improving Information and Communication
Technologies. The Embassy of India in Tashkent celebrated the Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day, with participation of
representatives of academic community, mass media, as well as
students and graduates of the ITEC Program in Uzbekistan.
The event’s guests had an opportunity to get acquainted with ITEC
Program that was launched by the government of India in 1964 as a
program for bilateral cooperation and technical assistance for
partner countries. |
An exchange of Indian experience in economic sphere, human recourses,
skills and technologies is ongoing within the program with 156 countries
of the world.
In Uzbekistan, development of information and communication technologies
(ICT) is considered as one of strategic priorities that promotes
development of socioeconomic progress and integration into the world
community. In this context, a program of ICT use in activities of
government bodies and agencies as well as program of formation and
development of the National Data Retrieval System
(NDRT) were adopted by the Decree of President Islam Karimov.
Today, the legal system of the country is aimed at improving the ICT
sphere and their use. The normative system offers efficient stimuli for
designing and purchasing modern technologies, including the possibility
to obtain necessary qualification for their effective use.
In this connection, participants of the event stressed that information
technologies play an important role in interstate cooperation.
Dynamically developing Uzbek-Indian relations in the sphere open broad
opportunities for the youth of Uzbekistan.
According to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to
Uzbekistan Manal Shah Alquadri, “cooperation within the ITEC Program is
a bright example of successfully developing cultural relations between
Uzbekistan and India. India annually allocates 120 places for Uzbek
specialists. This is the highest number India has allocated for any
country”.
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Growth of Mutually
Profitable Cooperation |
| November 20, 2009 |
Hhas been
remarked at a session of intergovernmental commission
A regular session of Uzbek-Latvian intergovernmental commission on
economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation took place in
the business center of Tashkent.
Representatives of various ministries and departments, firms and
companies working in the realms of foreign economic relations, trade,
investment, science, information technology, pharmaceutical, textile,
insurance, tourism, transportation and transport communication, food
processing, building materials took part in the event.
It was remarked at the session that Uzbekistan and Latvia created a
reliable legislative basis for bilateral cooperation. Agreements on
cooperation in various areas have been signed. The most favored nation
treatment was established between Uzbekistan and Latvia in trade
relations.
Our countries have a large potential in the development of trade and
economic relations. The mutual turnover is increasing right along. For
example, it reached $256.8 million in 2008. Twenty companies created
under the assistance of Latvian investments are operating in Uzbekistan.
They specialize in such branches as furniture proceeding, textile,
confectionary, oil refinery, wholesale, services. Sixteen leading
Latvian companies opened their missions in our country.
Alongside with the development of bilateral trade and economic
relations, Uzbekistan and Latvia closely cooperate in transit traffic.
Uzbekistan is located in the center of the Great Silk Road. This factor
is crucial for Latvia in the development of cooperation with Central
Asia.
“Uzbekistan is a country with steadily developing economy,” said Kaspars
Gerkhards, minister of railway communications of Latvian Republic,
co-chairman of the commission. The progress of mutually profitable
cooperation between our countries deserves attention. The trade and
economic relations between Uzbekistan and Latvia are rapidly developing.
The volume of mutual trade turnover is increasing constantly in spite of
the global financial and economic crisis. It illustrates the joint
intention to develop mutually profitable cooperation between our
countries.
Special priority was given to issues of further increase and expansion
of mutual trade. The prospects of further development of banking and
financial relations, cooperation in small business and private
entrepreneurship, direct business contacts were also discussed at the
event.
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Tashkent Photo
Exhibition in Novosibirsk |
| November 20, 2009 |
A photo
exhibition is open at Novosibirsk State Arts Museum “2,200 years old
Tashkent. Connection of times”, devoted to the Uzbek capital’s
anniversary.
Hosts of the photo exhibition are Novosibirsk State Arts Museum,
Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Jahon Information
Agency.
During its 2,200-year history Tashkent has long time transformed from
ancient castle, surrounded with a defensive wall, to one of the largest
megapolises of the world.
As curator of the photo exhibition in Novosibirsk, Olga Shabalina, said,
“many photographs show changing look of Tashkent. Pictures of the
present brightly demonstrate the volume of the creative work in recovery
of historical monuments of the capital, renovation of the city”.
In the days of independent the city has become a place for active
creation. A particular attention was paid to preserving an oriental
coloring. At the same time, an up-to-date technologies and modern
architectural solutions were used.
“One can see in the illustrated pictures unique, individual buildings:
Monument of Independence, Senate, State Museum of history of Temurids,
Fine Arts Gallery, reconstructed Alisher Navoi Uzbek National Park and
many other architectural sightseeing places of Uzbekistan”, Olga
Shabalina said.
The exhibition stressed “Tashkent is famous as a city of peace, city of
friendship, city of courage, city of bread, city of gardens, Gates of
the Orient. In 2007 these definitions were added with another name –
“Capital of Islamic Culture”.
“2,200-year old Tashkent. Connection of Times” will continue its work in
Omsk.
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Uzbek and Korean Businessmen Aim at Expanding Cooperation |
| November 20, 2009 |
The
Uzbek-Korean business forum and cooperation exchange has taken place in
Tashkent. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and Korean
company Tricos Co Ltd organized the events.
The events were held during the visit of a delegation of Korean business
circles to Uzbekistan. There were officials of more than 10 Korean
companies in the delegation. The guests represented such fields as
manufacturing and sale of equipment for building industry,
heat-strengthened glass, decorative heating panels, skin care products,
equipment for fruit and vegetable processing and others.
During the business forum, prospects of development of trade and
economic cooperation between Uzbek and Korean business circles as well
as establishment of direct mutual profitable relations between the
entrepreneurs of the two countries were discussed.
Representatives of ministries and agencies, branch departments and
associations, trade and industrial companies, small and medium
businesses took part at a cooperation exchange held in the form of
business negotiations.
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Uzbek Suzani cause a stir
in Germany |
| November 20, 2009 |
An
exhibition of suzani devoted to decorative embroidery of Eastern people
is taking place at the Museum of Islamic Arts in Berlin.
The Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin is unique in Germany and it is one
of the largest places in Europe where the world famous artifacts of
8-19th centuries from Egypt, Middle East, Iran, India and other Asian
countries are preserved.
During the official opening ceremony of the exhibition, it was remarked
that suzani is widely practiced among a number of Eastern people. This
kind of embroidery holds the most unique position in the life of Central
Asian people. In this case, the exhibition provides for a good
opportunity to get acquainted with traditions of decorative embroidery
of Central Asia in general and Uzbekistan in particular.
The famous German expert Dr. Ditmar Peltz presented a paper entitled
“The Central Asian suzani and methods of arrangement of traceries in it”
at the event. He got the guests acquainted with the history of suzani
embroidery in detail. Dr. Peltz especially emphasized that Uzbek suzani
are the brightest and most valuable. Each region of the country has its
own traditions and rules of embroidery that you can see on traceries and
their geometrical arrangement. “For centuries the people’s decorative
embroidery has served to adorn Uzbek family’s home,” he said. “The cloth
covered by ornament from colorful threads is the distinctive letter that
women created in order to impart their knowledge and experience to the
next generation.”
“The art of Uzbekistan is presented open-mindedly in our museum. Three
to five thousand people visit the museum each day,” said Schtefan Weber,
director of the Museum of Islamic Art. “Today’s event is a small excurse
to the history of culture and art of your country. I hope the German
people will obtain the possibility to expand their knowledge about
Uzbekistan thanks to this exhibition. I am sure that the exhibition will
contribute to furthering close contacts between our people.” he added.
“I hope that we can fulfill a number of new projects on familiarization
of German society with the rich history and culture of Central Asia in
the very nearest future.
We are open to cooperation and interested in holding exhibitions of
invaluable and ancient culture of Uzbekistan.”
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Macro Opportunities
for Micro Businesses |
| November 20, 2009 |
Third international conference on microfinancing has been organized in
Tashkent
The conference was
organized by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Association
of Banks, Agro Bank and Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit
Association (APRACA). The first similar forum was organized in 2001 and
the second took place in 2006.
During the conference it
was highlighted that Uzbekistan who declared 2009 as the Year of Rural
Development and Improvement, implements a state program aimed at
developing industrial and social infrastructure in rural areas, raising
incomes and life quality of rural residents. Sustainable development in
the agricultural sector is the main objective of Agro Bank. Besides, the
newly established Qishloq Qurilish Bank addresses important issues of
introduction of a new system of architectural planning and development
in rural settlements based on model projects.
In addition, national
commercial banks and micro-credit organizations provide rural population
with wide range of microfinance services.
During the conference
specialists exchanged experiences and views on the prospects of
development of microfinance activities in the agricultural sector in
Uzbekistan and APRACA member countries, discussed the introduction of
innovative technologies. In the course of the constructive dialogue it
was noted that in recent years Uzbekistan has been experiencing dynamic
development in the microfinance sector. The country has a legal basis,
the law “On microfinancing”, and the Microcredit Bank.
There are more than 170
micro-credit institutions – credit unions, microfinance institutions,
pawnshops. Their combined capital constitutes 45 billion soums, assets
exceed 170 billion soums. Growth in their number as well as reduction of
interest rates on micro loans and micro-leasing favor more lending to
small businesses and private entrepreneurship, increases their share in
GDP.
APRACA Secretary
General, Bayaua Benedicto announced that the 17th meeting of the
association is to be held in May 2010 in Tashkent. This, he said, is a
recognition of stable banking and financial sector in Uzbekistan who was
able in the face of the global downturn to implement effective policies,
including in the microfinance services in rural areas.
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Stability and Sustainability as Indicators of Uzbek Economy |
| November 20, 2009 |
A regular
issue of Ambassador magazine of Poland published an article entitled
“Uzbekistan – Yesterday and Today”, describing a stable economic
development and successful Anti-crisis program of Uzbekistan.
As the edition underlines, “nowadays economies of many countries of the
world have met difficulties related to consequences of the global
financial-economic crisis. Politicians, economists, bankers and
businessmen are looking for ways to solve this complicated situation”.
At the same time, thanks to timely implementation of measures stipulated
by the Anti-crisis program, Uzbekistan’s economy steadily develops,
demonstrating high figures. One of factors of economic growth have
become rapid increase of investments”.
“Ambassador” attracted attention to successful reforms in Uzbekistan,
which allow the country to quickly overcome the crisis. In a relatively
short period of time Uzbekistan has become one of the leading
industrially developing states of the region and a major exporter of
manufactured goods.
The editorial wrote, “maintenance of stable tempo of economic
development in the country in conditions of the global
financial-economic crisis is highly appraised by heads of international
financial organizations”.
The article’s author believes that Uzbekistan’s decision to establish
Navoi free industrial-economic zone presents to potential investors real
chance to successfully do their business in conditions of financial
slowdown, overcome its negative consequences.
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Media Get Ready for
Campaigning |
| November 20, 2009 |
The CEC
approved the order for media use. At a regular meeting, members of the
Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan approved the procedure of
using the media by candidates, political parties during the election
campaign for the parliament’s lower house.
Press service of the CEC informed that in accordance with Article 27 of
the law “On elections to Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the
Central Election Commission considered issues of pre-election agitation
of political parties, candidates for the Legislative Chamber of Oliy
Majlis of Uzbekistan in the media. For ensuring equal rights of
candidates to use mass media during the pre-election agitation, the
Central Election Commission in consultation with political parties
determined the order of using electronic and print media by candidates,
political parties participating in elections to the Legislative Chamber
of Oliy Majlis.
The Central Election Commission also approved the design of posters
informing voters about the election date, candidates for the Legislative
Chamber of Oliy Majlis, regional, district and city councils of people’s
representatives.
The Central Election Commission adopted appropriate resolutions on the
discussed issues. At the meeting, members of the CEC also considered
other issues under its powers.
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CEC
Examine Documents Of Candidates To The Lower House |
| November 20, 2009 |
Representatives of political parties contesting in the election campaign
to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis submitted documents for
registration of candidates to the respective representative body.
As explained Marhamat Yakubov, member of the Central Election Commission
for registration of candidates for deputies to the lower house of
parliament, all the necessary documents were submitted in line with the
law. These include application by a head of a political party with a
request for registration of candidates, attached with the decision of
the supreme body of the party to nominate candidates and application of
candidates with the agreement to run for the parliament seat from an
appropriate voting district and release from the job performed (service)
in the event he or she is elected to the Legislative Chamber.
The Central Electoral Commission shall check and provide conclusion on
the conformity of the documents to the law within seven days time.
In the case of inconsistencies and deviations in the submitted documents
from requirements of legislation, the Central Electoral Commission in
due course shall inform heads of respective political parties.
Pre-election campaign will start after the registration of candidates,
and will end on December 26. Campaigning on the election day is not
allowed.
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Transparency And Publicity Are Important Principles Of Elections |
| November 20, 2009 |
The press
center of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan
held a practical seminar “Transparency and Publicity are important
principles of election campaign.
Members of the Central Election Commission, heads of the press service
of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Karakalpakstan,
press groups under regional and Tashkent municipal election commissions,
representatives of the National TV and Radio Company of Uzbekistan,
National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, Creative
Council of Journalists of Uzbekistan, Public Fund for Support and
Development of Independent Press and Information Agencies of Uzbekistan,
Civil Society Studies Institute, heads of press services of political
parties and mass media representatives took part in the seminar.
Issues of ensuring transparency and publicity in the elections and the
role of mass media in the preparation and conduction of the elections to
Oliy Majlis, regional, district and municipal councils of people’s
representatives became the main topic of the seminar.
The event was aimed at enhancing knowledge of heads of press groups of
the national election legislation, discussing participation of the
media, press groups in particular, in arrangement of conditions for
prompt and impartial coverage of elections.
Opening the seminar, the chairman of the Central Election Commission of
the Republic of Uzbekistan Mirzo-Ulug’bek Abdusalomov noted that
elections to the parliament of the country and the Central Election
Commission are organized and conducted in strict compliance with the
national election legislation, transparency and publicity principles
envisaged by the legislation as well as the Concept on preparation and
conduction of the elections to Oliy Majlis of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, regional, district and municipal councils of people’s
representatives.
Seminar participants got detailed information of the work fulfilled on
the basis of this Concept.
They noted that all necessary organizational and legal conditions were
provided in the center and locally so that the work of election
commissions on preparation and conduction of elections to Oliy Majlis of
the Republic of Uzbekistan, regional, district and municipal councils of
people’s representatives was carried out in the atmosphere of
Transparency and Publicity.
Press service of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of
Karakalpakstan, press groups under regional and Tashkent municipal
election commissions play an important and responsible role in
fulfillment of these tasks. This depends much on the proficiency of
press groups’ workers and journalists, their competence in the
requirements of election legislation
As they emphasized in the seminar, the maim task of press groups was the
provision of the prompt and impartial coverage of the process of
elections to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis and local
representative bodies of state authority. Working in the process of the
pre-election agitation press groups should pay a special attention to
such important issues as giving political parties equal rights in using
mass media as well as cover the course of elections in strict compliance
with legislation requirements.
Seminar participants got acquainted with conditions provided for
journalists by the press center of the Central Election Commission. The
conference hall and rooms are furnished in tune with the times, equipped
with computer devices, telephones, fax machines and copying devices.
Mass media representatives have all opportunities to receive information
promptly, prepare and broadcast their materials to any part of the world
through Internet.
The elections to Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, regional,
district and municipal councils of people’s representatives will become
another important step on the way to our society’s democratization,
seminar participants noted.
They heard reports to the following topics: “Improvement of election
legislation in conditions of renovation and democratization of the
society”, “The role of journalists in covering regulations of laws on
elections”, “Transparency and publicity in the process of preparation
and conduction of election”, “The role of TV and radio in the coverage
of elections”.
The seminar was held in the atmosphere of constructive dialogue.
Managers of press service of the Central Election Commission of the
Republic of Karakalpakstan, press groups under regional and Tashkent
municipal election commissions as well as press services of political
parties and journalists were answered all questions they were interested
in. According to participants’ assessment, this seminar will be of big
importance in the coverage of election campaign.
Participants of the event got acquainted with the activity of Xalq So’zi
and People’s Word newspapers and National Association of Electronic Mass
Media of Uzbekistan.
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Legislators Improve Tax Code |
| November 20, 2009 |
Lower house
of parliament held a plenary session during which deputies approved the
government’s report on the execution of state budget in the first nine
months of 2009, and reviewed new bills amending the tax law.
Members of parliament listened to a report by deputy minister of finance
of Uzbekistan, M. Mirzaev, on the outcomes of the state budget in the
first nine months of 2009. Chairman A. Akhadov of the Committee on
Budget and Economic Reforms presented a co-report.
Representatives of all factions of political parties expressed their
views on the performance of the major financial document in the first
three quarters of the year. Members noted that in the reporting period
the country’s economy retained stable development, fiscal policy was
aimed at balancing the income and expenditure sides of the budget as the
tax burden on economic entities reduced, economic growth contributed to
the solution of social challenges.
The implementation of the most important priorities of the socioeconomic
development of the country in 2009 set by President Islam Karimov at the
government session on February 13, 2009 as well as the program of
measures to prevent and neutralize the effects of the global financial
crisis helped to maintain the sustainable and balanced economic growth
rates and established a solid basis for achieving the forecast
parameters of 2009. The state budget was executed with a surplus of 0.2%
to GDP as well as the balance of cash and consumer market helped to keep
inflation low (4.2%) within the forecast parameters. Measures taken to
support domestic exporters ensured a $2.3 billion surplus in foreign
trade. For the nine months of the year, 743,500 new jobs have been
created or 36.4% more than in the same period in 2008.
During the discussion, deputies noted the need to pay more attention to
the formulation and execution of the budget in regions. Particular
attention should be given to analyzing the situations involving
introduction of treasury execution of the state budget, progress of the
laws implementation in regions and raising the involved mechanisms in
accordance with current legislation.
Taking into account the views expressed during the debate, the
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis approved the results of the state
budget of Uzbekistan for the first nine months of 2009 and adopted a
relevant resolution.
The draft laws “On introducing amendments and addenda to the Tax Code of
Uzbekistan” and “On introducing amendments and addenda to some
legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the
improvement of the tax legislation” was presented by chairman of the
Committee on Budget and Economic Reforms, A. Akhadov. The bills are
designed in accordance with Article 2 of the law of the Republic of
Uzbekistan dated December 25, 2007 “On approval of the Tax Code of the
Republic of Uzbekistan”. The draft law “On introducing amendments and
addenda to the Tax Code of Uzbekistan” reflects rules arising from the
major directions of fiscal policy for 2010 and proposals of ministries
and agencies, businesses and associations on improving the tax
legislation, clarifying certain rules in order to eliminate
contradictions, ensure direct action of the code.
The bill provides for introducing more than 150 amendments and additions
to the Tax Code. The changes focus on improving the tax administering,
increasing liability for failing to fulfill tax obligations, as well as
a uniform interpretation in determining the objects of taxation. The
bill also provides for other changes and additions aimed at ensuring
direct operation of the rules of the Tax Code. The draft law “On
introducing amendments and addenda to some legislative acts of the
Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the improvement of tax
legislation” provides for changes and additions to the Administrative
Liability Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the law on State Tax
Service. The changes and additions are focused on improving tax
administering and arise from the proposed changes to the Tax Code of
Uzbekistan.
During the discussion, representatives of all parliamentary groups of
political parties delivered their speeches. Deputies noted the
timeliness and the necessity to improve the tax legislation, compliance
of the changes to the concept of fiscal policy for 2010. Taking into
account the proposals, members of the Legislative Chamber approved the
main provisions of the bills in the first reading.
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Senate to Convene for
a Plenary Session |
| November 20, 2009 |
The agenda
includes laws important for the development of the country
At the last parliamentary week the council of the Senate of Oliy Majlis
of Uzbekistan held a meeting. The council adopted a resolution on
convening the twentieth plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis in
Tashkent on December 4.
The agenda of the plenary session of the Senate included the State
Budget of Uzbekistan for 2010, employment program for the next year as
well as a number of laws of aimed at furthering the economic and social
reforms. There are laws on introducing amendments and addenda to some
legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with
deepening of economic reforms in agriculture and water resources, “On
introducing amendments and addenda to the Tax Code of the Republic of
Uzbekistan” “On introducing amendments and addenda to the law on
securities market”.
The forthcoming plenary session is also suggested to address the laws
governing the judicial system. These in particular are the law “On
introducing addenda to the Administrative Liability Code of the Republic
of Uzbekistan in connection with the improvement of legislation on
protection of minors” and “On introducing amendments to Article 329 of
the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
Senators will also consider other laws covering state building and
governance, foreign policy, as well as the implementation of the
resolution of the Senate of Oliy Majlis “On the role and liability of
local authorities for the unconditional implementation of the Anti
Crisis Program for 2009-2012”.
Senators will also discuss other issues under the competence of the
Senate of the Oliy Majlis.
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Letter from Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission,
to President Islam Karimov |
| November 17, 2009 |
His
Excellency Mr. Islam Karimov,
President of the Republic
of Uzbekistan
Your Excellency,
Thank you for the warm congratulations you sent me on the occasion of my
re-election as President of the European Commission.
This is a time of great opportunity both for Europe and Uzbekistan: a
time when our citizens expect us to build a prosperous, secure and
sustainable future for all. Yet we also have great challenges ahead,
from leaving the global recession behind to tackling climate change.
I firmly believe that if we can harness our values and mobilize our
efforts to best effect, the next few years will allow us to map out a
path that will shape our success for decades to come.
Uzbekistan with its rich traditions and centuries old exchanges with
Europe is an important partner of the European Union. I am both
delighted and honoured to be entrusted with the leadership of the
Commission and I look forward to developing much closer relations with
Uzbekistan.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes of
prosperity and wellbeing to the people of Uzbekistan on the occasion of
the 18th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence and the 2,200th
anniversary of Tashkent.
Once again, thank you for your warm words.
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Prospects of Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation |
| November 17, 2009 |
Were
discussed at the Uzbek-Norwegian business forum in Tashkent. They
highlighted the gradual development of cooperation between our countries
in many spheres. The Norwegian businessmen were delivered information on
the priority directions of attraction of investments to Uzbekistan, the
privatization process, reforms in the economy, banking, oil and gas,
small business, favorable investment climate and opportunities in the
Navoi free industrial-economic zone.
“Uzbekistan is a country with huge economic potential,” Bard Svendsen,
deputy director general of the CIS Department of the Norway Foreign
Ministry said. “Favorable investment environment in the country attracts
the attention of the foreign businessmen. That will promote expansion of
our trade, economic and investment interaction. Our key goal is
development and implementation of joints projects together with Uzbek
partners. Uzbekistan and Norway have extensive opportunities for
development of bilateral trade and economic relationships. The trade
turnover between Uzbekistan and Norway increased almost two times in
January-September 2009 compared to the same period of last year.”
The detailed opinion exchange on economic potential and opportunities of
Uzbekistan and Norway took place in the forum. The forum participants
discussed issues of further expansion of trade, economic and investment
cooperation between the two countries, attraction of Norwegian companies
into the privatization process in our country.
The representatives of a dozen large companies of Norway that
participated in the forum expressed their interest in the development of
cooperation with Uzbek businessmen.
“Our company is dealing with financing of small and entrepreneurial
business, tourism, trade and industrial projects and rendering
consulting services,” Johan Byorkewall, senior advisor of the Innovation
Norway state agency said. “Our countries possess colossal resources for
implementation of scaled joint investment projects. We take a special
interest in expansion of trade, economic and investment ties,
cooperation in chemical, energy and tourism areas with Uzbek partners.”
Members of the Norwegian delegation also visited a number of ministries
and departments of Uzbekistan for talks on expansion of cooperation.
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From
Constructive Dialogue to Constructive Cooperation |
| UzA, November 17, 2009 |
Forum
becomes a venue for exchanging views and experience. Economic dialogue
and prospects of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan constituted
the topic of the third business forum that took place this week in
Tashkent. Officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
Agency for Mineral Resources and Energy, Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Japan
External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National
Corporation (JOGMEC), New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization of Japan (NEDO) as well as major companies and corporations
came to the capital of Uzbekistan for the event.
The guests were welcomed in the Business Center by organizers of the
forum: Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of
the Republic of Uzbekistan, Center for Political Studies and Forum of
Culture and Art of Uzbekistan Foundation.
The delegation of Japan was headed by Yochi Kato, advisor of the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The two-day dialogue consisting of three sessions gave Japanese
specialists and analysts, representatives of government and public
organizations, analytical centers and large companies an opportunity to
get acquainted with the potential of Uzbekistan in such leading sectors
as energy, mining, high technologies and know-how.
The first deputy minister of economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, G.
Saidova, and advisor of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of
Japan, Y. Kato, highlighted the gradual development of trade and
economic cooperation between our countries and agreements reached during
the meetings of heads of the two states provide an important legal
basis.
The whole work of the business forum was aimed at intensification of
economic partnership through establishing joint manufactures, bilateral
scientific research and attracting Japanese investment into long-term
promising projects.
FIEZ Navoi is one of such projects. As Shavkat Tulaganov, deputy
minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of
Uzbekistan, noted in his speech that there is a colossal potential for
the development of bilateral investment relations within the project.
Investor-friendly legal framework and rich mineral resources of the
country allow for the production of finished commodity at the FIEZ that
will be competitive at international markets. Meanwhile the preference
will be given to power efficient and environment friendly facilities,
innovative technologies and automation of production.
The topic of know-how introduction got prompted by director of
department for Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus of Japan’s Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry, K. Khara. He said today Uzbekistan
entirely satisfies its needs in oil and gas, however, Japan is willing
to support further prospecting and extraction of these strategic
resources with its know-how.
Oil and gas sector became one of the central focuses of the dialogue.
The Japanese side expresses great interest in this sphere. This was
confirmed by the director of Japan’s Oil, Gas and Metal National
Corporation project, T. Furuhata, in his report. He said in particular:
“The need for oil and natural gas in Japan is high, thus, we are willing
to cooperate with Uzbekistan in this line on a long-term basis. We’ve
had a constructive dialogue with Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company
the day before. The issue of the Uzbek-Japanese cooperation in terms of
marketing study in Uzbekistan was one of the key topics.”
According to D. Ismailov, deputy director of Uzbekneftegaz, the Uzbek
side has already had the experience of cooperation with Japanese
partners in this area, however the available potential of mutually
beneficial investment partnership was not used to the sufficient degree.
The agreement between Uzbekistan and Japan “On liberalization,
encouragement and protection of investment” that entered into force
gives an important impulse to such cooperation.
It should be noted that Uzbekistan carries out a scaled program of
modernization in all sectors of the economy. Such projects take a
serious place in fuel and energy complex as well. Many of them are
focused on the deeper processing of hydrocarbons and natural gas in
particular. In this regard, the sides discussed opportunities of
implementing joint projects on production of synthetic liquid fuels and
diethyl ether in Uzbekistan.
This topic was touched in the speech of T. Imada, director of
international projects management department of Japan’s New Energy and
Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). He acquainted
participants with NEDO’s opportunities in expansion of cooperation on
introduction of energy-efficient technologies in production enterprises
of Uzbekistan.
Mineral resources became another subject that drew a steadfast interest
of the Japanese side. The guests listened attentively to the report by
N. Mavlonov, chairman of the State Committee for Geology and Mineral
Resources on mineral and raw materials base of the Republic of
Uzbekistan and prospects for cooperation with Japanese companies in
prospecting and extraction of mineral resources.
Kh. Mukhitdinov, director general at the Agency for Communications and
Information of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UzACI) expounded on the ways
of expanding investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and Japan in
information technologies sector. The guests got familiarized with the
current state and prospects of development of training and retraining of
highly skilled ICT personnel, state of software production market and
introduction of information technologies into state management. As
UzACI’s head noted, some 10 major projects on reconstruction and
modernization of telecommunications networks in the republic have been
carried out since 1991 as the result of close Uzbek-Japanese
cooperation. Nowadays, there is a basis and all the necessary capacities
for the further development of cooperation in the spirit of high mutual
trust.
In the course of open practical and theoretical discussions, the sides
displayed the intention of continuing the dialogue in the similar format
in future and create a permanent groundwork for opinions and proposals
exchange on the basis of forums between representatives of official and
business circles of Japan and Uzbekistan.
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Ecology Movement
Gets Ready for Elections |
| November 17, 2009 |
Territorial
conferences take place in regions. Conferences in territorial offices of
the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan take place these days in regions of
the republic. By means of secret vote on the contested basis they elect
delegates to take part in the Conference on December 27 where 15
representatives of Ecology Movement will be elected to the Legislative
Chamber of Oliy Majlis.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) responsible for preparation and
conduction of election approved the respective regulation “On the
procedure of nominating candidates to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy
Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan from the Ecology Movement of
Uzbekistan and their election” September 17. The date of the conference
in the capital of Uzbekistan where 15 deputies of the lower chamber of
the parliament will be delegated from the Ecology Movement by means of
secret vote of the conference delegates was appointed in compliance with
this document.
As commented Boriy Alikhanov, chairman of the Executive Committee of the
Central Council of the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan, the regulation
assigns to conduct conferences in Tashkent municipal, regional and
Karakalpak branches of the movement no later than 35 days prior to the
general conference. Equal number of 25 delegates should be elected by
the secret vote from each territorial branch in those conferences.
“In accordance with the norms of this regulation the Executive Committee
of the Central Council of the Ecology Movement approved the schedule for
territorial conferences. They have been already held in Karakalpak
Republican branch, Khorazm, Bukhoro, Navoi, Surkhondaryo and Namangan
regional branches of the movement so far by November 10. From 350 to 400
delegates representing all districts of these regions took part in each
conference,” Alikhanov said.
Participants of territorial conferences noted that they were held on
high organizational level. Polling booths and ballot boxes of patterns
specified by CEC were prepared in rooms for secret vote. All
participants of conferences are informed about the date and place of
events beforehand through the local mass media. The conferences are also
covered in television, radio and press.
“Rise of ecological culture of the population and development of
ecological education is the principal task of the movement,” noted
Bakhtiyor Isakov, activist of the Ecology Movement, teacher at the
Namangan State University. “In order to fulfill this task an idea of
ecological culture should be formed in each family, primary and general
school. Rise of the level of ecological education in school is of big
importance. Provision of activists of the Ecology Movement with seats in
the Legislative Chamber and involvement of ecologists into lawmaking
should promote the nature conservation activity to the qualitatively new
level as well as solution of urgent ecological challenges and problems.”
As deputy chairman of Central Election Commission Qo’chqo’r Tagaev
commented, CEC members took part in all territorial conferences of the
Ecology Movement. They noted that conferences met all norms and
requirements of election legislation on democratic basis. No violation
was observed there.
We should note that territorial conferences take place in Andijon,
Farg’ona and Qashqadaryo regions this week.
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Beacons
Pharmaceuticals in Uzbek Market |
| November 17, 2009 |
The
Singaporean company intends to invest about $10 million into
pharmaceutical plant building.
The article that addressed cooperation between Uzbekistan and
Singaporean company Beacons Pharmaceuticals has been published in the
Straits Times, the central Singaporean newspaper.
The article reports that the Singaporean company intends to invest about
$10 million to pharmaceutical plant building in Uzbekistan. The
company’s aim is to take a place in the developing Uzbek market. At the
new plant the company plans to annually produce about forty kinds of
pharmaceutical products.
The Beacons Pharmaceuticals Company signed an agreement on cooperation
with the Nika Pharm Service, large pharmaceutical distributor in
Uzbekistan, October 2009, the newspaper informed. Both companies will
cooperate in researching and creating of technology for manufacturing,
international certification as well as personnel training.
The Straits Times invocated executive director of Beacons
Pharmaceuticals Joseph Lam: “We are sure that our company will achieve
great success by joining of the Nika Pharm Service’s wide distribution
network in Uzbekistan and the Beacons Pharmaceuticals’ production
experience as well as the Singaporean Federation of Manufacturers’
supporting.”
“The Singaporean Federation of Manufacturers expects that pharmaceutical
companies in Uzbekistan, the heart of Central Asian pharmaceutical
market, will produce more than sixty new products by the end of this
year. The manufacturers of medications have to upgrade their equipment
by 2011. It provides Singaporean companies with an opportunity to create
manufacturing facilities in Uzbekistan and deliver new equipment and
other services,” the newspaper remarked.
The Beacons Pharmaceuticals and Nika Pharm Service intend to use the
growing opportunities and expand their interests beyond the local
markets. It will contribute to more dynamic Uzbek-Singaporean
cooperation in the very nearest future, said chairman of the Council of
the Singaporean Pharmaceutical Manufactures Gwen Gokh to The Straits
Times.
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View from America |
| November 17, 2009 |
Representatives of United States Congress and State Department, major
travel agencies, public and research institutions of Washington have
gathered at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the US capital. In course of
the event they were acquainted with tourist opportunities of Uzbekistan.
American officials have shown great interest in tourist opportunities of
Uzbekistan, particularly in the wealth of culture and history, unique
nature and geography. Guests expressed their high appraisal for the
ancient culture, original traditions and showplaces of the country.
Invaluable cultural and historical heritage of the Uzbek people as well
as a lot of various architectural monuments is the most important factor
of development of the domestic travel industry in Uzbekistan, - vice
president of Cultural Tourism of DC Company Jan DuPlain remarked.
Executive director of the G3 Visas & Passports Company Chris Davidson
expressed his profound gratitude for hospitality. He emphasized that
Uzbekistan deserves to step into its shoes amongst the leaders of the
global travel market due to such masterpieces of the world heritage as
those in Samarqand, Bukhoro, and Khiva.
According to the guests, meetings of the kind present good opportunities
for American companies to get familiarized with Uzbekistan’s extensive
travel potential.
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Promoting Soil Fertility |
| November 17, 2009 |
Uzbek
academics propose a program on refining soil in the country
A method aimed at using organic additives of certain types for soil
cultivation that allows to raise the level of crop yield gets developed
in Tashkent.
A scientific article revealing this method has recently been published
in the journal “Geology and Mineral Resources”. The periodical is
published by the State Committee on Geology in cooperation with the
Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. The authors of the article - Doctor
of Geological-Mineralogical Sciences Shavkat Fatkhullayev and PhD in
Geological-Mineralogical Sciences Rustam Yusupov from the Museum of
Geology at the State Committee for Geology, presented their
recommendations built on the profound examination of ecological state of
soils on the territory of the Republic. The exploration has been
conducted largely on the territories of industrial regions where lands
have been under intense anthropogenic pollution. The major sources of
such pollution are mining and smelting enterprises, heat power plants,
factories that produce building materials, and motor transports.
Anthropogenic wastes contain mainly such components as heavy metals, and
compounds of sulfur, fluorine and carbon.
Another way the air and environment get polluted is through
geological-chemical waste that emerges from natural weathering of
geological materials that may contain over seventy chemical elements.
Substances coming from interplanetary space such as debris of meteorites
and cosmic dust are rather dangerous as well. Extraterrestrial
substances getting into earths contain radioactive isotopes of carbon,
beryllium, hydrogen and other chemical elements that are drawn into
processes taking place inside soils.
Various substances that comprise wind- and air-borne aerosols are hardly
useful for soils either. For instance, the examination of Tashkent
oasis’s soil showed that it contains bay salts from the drying Aral Sea.
Dusts from major deserts of the world such as Sahara, Gobi, Takla Makan
as well as from the utmost active volcanoes were found in glaciers of
our mountains. The smallest particles are transported with winds and air
jet streams. The size of aerosol mineral components in fine condition is
from less than 100 microns to trifling motes measured with nanometers.
Aerosol pollution affects the processes in soils; these substances
oppress the activity of phytoedaphon, hence affecting soil fertility and
the level of crop yield. Measures proposed by academics are said to
considerably lessen the negative impact of aerosol pollution as well as
consequences of abusing the mineral fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides
and other chemical mineral toxins that were used in cotton fields before
the independence. In the post- independence years, the situation has
been improved. Biological ways of combating vermin are in wide use now,
toxic herbicides are applied in lesser amounts.
Developed recommendations allow one to make further steps on improving
physical and chemical properties of soil, and to activate the microflora
as well as turn agricultural products ecologically cleaner.
The program on soil refining stipulates the utilization of local mineral
resources and sources of raw materials for each individual region
including clays, recrements from coal producing plants, deposits of
shale of geological rocks and other materials that are rich in elements
necessary for plant growing. The use of biohumus and organic-mineral
liquid fertilizers is projected as well.
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Studying and
Preserving Ancient Manuscripts |
| November 06, 2009 |
Centuries-old handwritings undergo electronic cataloguing. Abu Rayhon
Beruniy Institute of Oriental Studies at Uzbekistan’s Academy of
Sciences has called a board meeting of the Association of Islamic
Manuscripts
Foreign specialists attending the meeting got familiarized with the
Institute’s collections of ancient handwritings as well as ongoing
scientific and organizational efforts related to studying and preserving
manuscript assets.
Special value of this depository of written monuments is that it
contains about a hundred unique documents of the 9th – 18th centuries
written in Arabic, Farsi, old Uzbek, Urdu, and many other languages of
the East. Without examining documents from this collection it would be
quite difficult to explore the history of the region’s peoples.
Therefore, according to participants of the meeting, organization of the
workshop in Tashkent and implementation of the fixed project on
electronic cataloguing of ancient manuscripts is aimed at promoting the
integration of Oriental Studies in Uzbekistan with those in the wider
world.
“The current meeting’s attendees examined issues concerning prospects of
cooperation between AIM and Scientific Research Institute of Oriental
Studies under the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan in realm of
restoration and conservation of manuscripts from the depository of the
Institute, thus themes of joint scientific projects on publication of
sources were mapped out. So was the possibility of organizing an
international scientific conference in 2010 in Tashkent that would
address issues related to preservation and study of manuscripts,” noted
Doctor of Historical Sciences Bahrom Abduhalimov, director of the
Scientific Research Institute of Oriental Studies.
According to a unanimous opinion of the participants at the workshop,
this invaluable manuscript fund is of immense importance and is assigned
a special place among similar text depositories around the world. Hence
it was not accidental that Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental
Studies was chosen as the host place of the board meeting.
Owing to the ongoing international cooperation it was planned to address
such issues as cadres’ advanced training, equipment with essential
facilities for carrying out restoration works as well as providing with
chemicals for fixing and conservation of ancient handwritings.
“The manuscript fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies possesses,
without any doubt, one of the richest and invaluable collections of
manuscripts in the world, the significance of which for the science and
recollection of unknown pages of the history of states on the Great Silk
Road is hard to overestimate,” underscored Dr. Charles Melville (UK),
Professor of Persian History, University of Cambridge, and Director,
Shohnoma Project.
“We are in raptures over the hospitality of the Uzbek people and all
that we saw here. We are impressed especially by the care for and great
attention to monuments of cultural legacy that are an important
component of the treasury of universal civilization.”
“After digital copying and electronic cataloguing of all manuscripts
within the implementation of a five-year project (2008-2013), you will
possess a unique data base,” kept the conversation Dr. Mahmud Erol
Kilich (Turkey), chairman of Association of Islamic Manuscripts,
secretary general of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of
Islamic Conference. “All materials will be uploaded on the web-site in
order for everyone - whether local residents or foreign researchers – to
have access to them. It will be a significant contribution of Uzbek
academics to the development and expansion of world science as well as
to strengthening the international image of Uzbekistan in this area.”
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Legislative Chamber passes
new laws |
| UzA, November 04, 2009 |
| The
Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan passed a number of
laws at its session on 3 November.
The deputies adopted the law “On archive activities”, which should now
be approved by the Senate.
Today in Uzbekistan thee are 120 archive establishments and almost 7,600
departmental archives, containing over 100 million documents.
The law “On archives”, adopted in 1999, needed to be improved because of
the serious changes in the sphere over the past years. |
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In 2004, the Cabinet of Ministers passed a resolution on improvement of
the archive activities in the country. The Man Archive Department was
transformed into the Uzarchive agency under the Cabinet of Ministers.
Also, a program of development of archive activities and records
management and measures were defined to reconstruct and modernize state
archives.
The deputies also passed the law on introducing changes in the
Administrative Responsibility Code, developed in the framework of the
National plan of actions to implement the ILO conventions on eliminating
the worst forms of child labor and on the minimum age for employment.
The deputies said the new norms will establish responsibility of the
individuals, including parents, for the use of the labor of the underage
persons at unfavorable works, which may cause harm to their health or
safety.
The law also strengthens the responsibility of the employers for the
violation of the legislation on labor in regards to the underage
persons.
The chamber then approved changes in the article 113 of the Criminal
Code, establishing responsibility for the infection of other persons
with HIV due to improper implementation or non-implementation of
professional duties.
The deputies stressed that the introduction of the criminal
responsibility for such actions was related to their high social danger
and the heaviness of the possible consequences.
Another approved law was the law on introducing changes in the
Administrative Responsibility Code, envisaging responsibility for
non-implementation of the requirements of the laws on civil defence and
on protection of the population and territories from emergency situation
of natural and anthropogenic character.
The lower chamber of the parliament also approved the changes in the law
“On securities market”, developed in accordance with the President’s
resolution of 28 July 2009 on stimulating the increase of the share of
long-term credits of banks used for financing investment projects.
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Work of
district election commissions considered |
| UzA, November 03, 2009 |
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The Central
Election Commission held a seminar on 31 October for the chairmen of the
district election commissions created for the elections of the deputies
of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis.
The aim of the seminar was to discuss the organization of the activities
of the district commissions related to the preparation and the
conduction of the elections, as well as define the most important tasks
of the commissions.
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The chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirza-Ulughbek
Abdusalomov said the elections to the parliament and representative
bodies of the state authority will be held in full accordance with the
national legislation and the principles of openness and justice.
The seminar participants visited the election district No.126 in
Tashkent, where they familiarized with the work of the district election
commission.
The district commission chairman T.Jalilov said the commission was
provided with computers connected to the internet, as well as telephone,
fax and copying machine. The stands and posters contain all the required
information on the upcoming elections.
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Legislative
Chamber approves state budget for 2010 |
| UzA, November 02, 2009 |
| The
Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan approved the state
budget for 2010 at its session.
Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, members of the Cabinet and heads of
various national organizations participated in the session, chaired by
the Legislative Chamber Speaker Dilorom Tashmuhamedova.
The report on the draft state budget for 2010 was presented by the First
Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Rustam Azimov. |
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The chairman of the parliament’s Budget and Economic Issues Committee Abdurafik Ahadov
presented a co-report on the issue.
They noted that the budget was aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability
and high GDP growth rates, formation of the diversified and competitive
economy, as well as raising the living levels of the population.
The document was developed with consideration of the Anti-crisis program
for 2009-2012, proposed by the President Islam Karimov.
The state budget envisages a wide range of long-term measures for
development of the production, improvement of the banking activities,
support of the small business and farmers, and stimulation of the
service sector. It also covers issues like development of industrial and
social infrastructure in the villages, as well as cardinal improvement
of the quality of life in rural areas.
The tax policy of Uzbekistan in 2010 will be aimed at reduction of the
financial burden on the economic entities, stimulation of the
modernization of the production, increasing the incomes of the citizens
and improvement of the tax administration.
The budget envisages increasing the expenditures for the social sphere
and social support of the population from 55.6% in 2009 to 59.1% in
2010, which is equal to 13.5% of the GDP.
The lowest level of the income tax for individuals will be reduced from
12% to 11%. Besides, additional preferences will be introduced, like
reduction of the taxed income by the amount of money paid for the
university education or voluntarily transferred to individual pension
accounts.
Thanks to these preferences, the tax burden on the incomes of the
individuals will decrease by a total of more than UZS 102 billion in
2010.
The state budget for the next year also includes construction of the new
school, academic lyceums and professional colleges, as well as material
support of the young people.
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Modern housing built in
rural areas |
| UzA, November 02, 2009 |
One hundred
modern houses will be built in the Aral Sea area based on the type
projects in the framework of the Year of Rural Development and
Improvement state program.
The program envisages improvement of the look of the villages,
increasing the living level of the population and construction of
comfortable houses complying with modern requirements.
Construction of 20 individual houses has already started in Nukus,
Kungrad, Kegeyli, Ellikkala and Khojeyli districts of Karakalpakstan.
“In 2010, additional 484 houses will be built in the villages of
Karakalpakstan,” Lepesboy Allamjarov, director of Karakalpak branch of
Qishloq Qurilish Invest company told UzA.
“The residents have shown a huge interest in the new housing, which
is being built from modern materials in a short period of time,” he
added.
The construction of the houses for rural residents will be financed
by investors and banking credits, while social infrastructure and
engineering communications by local budgets and sponsors.
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