April 9, 2014
XIV plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan.. 2
Senate’s session to start its work in Tashkent on 10 April. 2
Information and Communication Technologies to be widely Implemented in Uzbekistan’s Real Sector. 2
Uzbekistan to direct US$153.3 million to home appliance production by 2019. 3
М.Аскаров
А.Каипбергенов
Т.Шамсибаев
Press-service of MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan
XIV plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan
Senate’s session to start its work in Tashkent on 10 April
The fourteenth plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan will open in Tashkent on 10 April 2014.
The upper house of parliament will consider several laws of Uzbekistan, directed at further reforming and liberalizing all spheres of political and social-economic life of the country.
Senate will consider laws “On openness of activities of the state bodies and administration”, “On joint stock companies and protection of rights of shareholders” (new edition), “On preventing law violation”, “On approval of regulation on qualification board of judges” (new edition), and some other documents, which will further strengthen protection of human rights and interests, improve business environment, etc.
Senators will discuss a report of Human Rights Commissionaire of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, on activities of Accounts Chamber and the State Committee on protection of nature. Senate will consider a report of the Ministry of Justice on activities of the state bodies, law enforcement and controlling bodies in 2013.
At the same time, the Senate will discuss other issues, related to jurisdiction of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
economy
Information and Communication Technologies to be widely Implemented in Uzbekistan’s Real Sector
On April 3, 2014 The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a Resolution “On measures for further implementation of information and communication technologies in the real economy”.
This document was adopted in order to accelerate the development and introduction into the real economy sectors of information and communication technologies and software products and on this basis to improve management efficiency, reduce production costs, ensuring the reliability and transparency of financial and economic activity of associations and large enterprises and to improve their competitiveness in domestic and foreign markets.
The following are set as the most important tasks and directions of development of ICT in the real economy:
• widespread adoption of ICT and software products, mainly locally developed, into document management system, accounting and reporting, financial and economic activity of associations and enterprises, personnel management, organization of manufacture and technological processes;
• improving the quality of products and services, reducing their costs and production costs through implementation of modern information systems and software for accounting and rational use of material resources, regulation of relations with consumers;
• introduction of new product sale schemes by enterprises through the Internet to open new markets and increase the export potential of the country;
• introduction in production processes of innovative mechanisms and technologies by expanding cooperation with research and designing firms, institutions of higher education ;
• organize of an effective system of advanced ICT training and retraining in joint stock companies, associations and large enterprises.
The Resolution has also approved the list of priority projects for introduction of information and communication systems and products into the real economy sectors in 2014-2015.
Executors are instructed to create specialized working groups, to develop network schedules for the implementation of projects and pre-feasibility studies of projects along with setting target figures of cost-effectiveness of their implementation that help increase productivity, reduce costs and improve profitability.
Major priority projects for the introduction of information and communication systems and software products will be included in the investment program of Uzbekistan.
Annually before June 1 lists of new projects will be developed for further introduction of information and communication systems and software products in economic entities and large industrial enterprises to be included in the investment program.
Joint-stock companies, associations, large industrial enterprises are instructed to annually include in their business plans and cost estimates the separate line items for the introduction of information and communication systems and software products, including providing training and skills development. Companies will also put into practice quarterly financial incentives and promotion professionals and employees directly involved in the implementation of projects for the introduction of information and communication systems and software products.
Implementation of these tasks will also contribute to the development of the ICT market and the domestic software industry due to orders for specific IT projects for the real economy.
According to the data of the State Committee for Communication, Information and Telecommunication Technologies of Uzbekistan, the National Register of software development already includes over 40 companies that provide services on integration of information systems and software products.
(Source: Uzreport.uz)
Uzbekistan to direct US$153.3 million to home appliance production by 2019
Enterprises of electrotechncal industry of Uzbekistan will direct US$153.4 million into creation of capacities on production of home appliances by 2019.
President of Uzbekistn Islam Karimov approved a programme on further development of eletrotechnical industry for 2014-2018 with his resolution.
The programme envisages implementation of 24 projects on development of new and modernization of existing capacities on production of home appliance.
Within in the programme, Uzbekistan plans to increase production of TV-sets by 4.6 times to 635,000 unit, mobile phones – 3.9 times to 1 million, refregirators and freezers – 2.5 times to 600,000 units.
It is planned to launch production of new products at Algoritm, Foton and Motor Plant in Tashkent city and Sino in Samarkand city, as well as three free economic zones in Navoi, Jizzakh and Angren.
The programme will be financed due own resources of enterprises (US$77.8 million), loans of the Uzbek banks (US$36.2 million) and foreign investments (US$39.4 million).
(Source: Uzdaily.uz)
Exhibitions
Start of the international exhibitions in Tashkent: WorldFood Uzbekistan and Agro World Uzbekistan
Two major international agribusiness exhibitions started in Tashkent, WorldFood Uzbekistan and AgroWorld Uzbekistan. Their slogan ‘Everything from Beds to Counter’ reflects the trends in the development of domestic agriculture focusing on maximum diversification and production of finished products.
This year the exhibition surprised guests not only with the number of participants (more than 150 companies), and the breadth of geography (22 countries), but also with a clear awareness of the world’s leading manufacturers about the market they have come to, and the niche they can fill. Highlighting that fact, experts who attended the exhibition emphasized that, above all, it speaks of the importance of the Uzbek market, favorable conditions created here for all stakeholders and, even more important, the government’s intention to simplify the relationships between investors, producers, consumers and government agencies.
Another important feature of the event is that 70% of the exhibition is represented by foreign companies, and 30% are local producers. Uzbek market attracts a lot of companies, leaders in their sectors, producing modern equipment. This is associated with a large-scale rearmament of agribusinesses in the country and modernization of the tractor fleet.
“Uzbekistan has created unique opportunities for joint projects in the agricultural sector,” said Aleksey Kirilov, deputy director for development of export markets at the Concern of Tractor Plants (Russia). “For our part we are working on a project to assemble various tractors on the basis of one of the machine-building enterprises in Uzbekistan. Today this sector is actively developing, as it’s impossible to achieve sustainable growth in the production of various crops without modern machinery.”
On the other hand, a layman may see that 30% of domestic companies is an insufficient figure. However, it should be understood that Uzbekistan’s economy is modernizing and the country in 22 years of independence has passed a path that many nations spend incomparably more time to make.
This is a serious figure, and many domestic enterprises are ready to compete on equal terms with the world’s leading manufacturers, their products are not inferior in quality, but better focused on local conditions.
“Our company is almost of the same age as the country’s independence. A team of doctors and specialists has joined efforts for the synthesis of modern pharmaceuticals and ancient Eastern medicine. As a result, within a brief period of time we have managed to win the trust of consumers,” said Murod Tursunkhojaev, manager of Mehrigiyo. “We produce unique medicinal tea from more than 30 kinds of herbal plants. We have plans to export our product to CIS and non-CIS countries.”
Do not forget that the exhibition is also a kind of indicator that reflects the reforms and the industry’s health in general. Last year, the country’s agricultural production increased by 6.8%, including crop production, by 6.4%, and livestock production, by 7.4%. Farmers harvested high yields: 3.36 million tons of cotton, 7.8 million tons of grain, 8.4 million tons of vegetables. However, in the report on the results of 2013, the Uzbek President noted that technical audit revealed that more than 30% of the equipment used in the manufacturing sector had gone out of date, of which 19% account for the food industry. Obviously, the processes of modernization and technical re-equipment require constant investments, cooperation with foreign companies, exchange of experiences and knowledge. In this regard, such international exhibitions give a great opportunity for a constructive dialogue between experts from different countries, development of business environment and establishment of partnership ties.
It is also worth noting that foreign companies send large delegations to the exhibition. This year’s WorldFood Uzbekistan 2014 presented at once three national groups – Belgium and South Korea for the first time participate in the exhibition in a so extended format, as well as Germany, who takes an active part in the exhibition for several years. It is very important for farmers who can get acquainted with the leading types of equipment on the same site. One more initiative, a Farmers Day, which is traditionally held during the exhibition, is worth mentioning too. This year the exhibition is expected to attract over two thousand representatives of farming enterprises from all regions of the country. At the outdoor areas of Uzexpocenter, they can familiarize themselves with an extensive exposition of agricultural machinery for various purposes: tractors, combines, tillage equipment and other technology.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)