April 10, 2014
Strengthening the system of specialized building contractors in Uzbekistan.. 2
UZSE and JPX sign memorandum of understanding.. 2
Uzbekistan Havo Yollari starts to fly to Singapore. 3
April 9 – the birthday of Amir Temur. 3
Press-service of MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan
economy
Strengthening the system of specialized building contractors in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has always been among the leaders in the region in terms of housing, social, cultural, and industrial facilities. Since independence, the construction industry is actively developing, attracting investment to upgrade its capacity to adopt new technologies and materials. But time does not stand still, and it has become necessary to make a new breakthrough in the development sphere. In early March this year the country approved a program of formation of large specialized building contractors for 2014-2016.
According to experts, the adoption of this program was imperative. The country has already launched several large-scale projects for the construction of various facilities and unique industry, and in the future there will be more. This process requires use of the most modern technologies, equipment and above all qualified personnel, both at the design stage and construction of the object. It is very important to the whole cycle of the construction work was carried out, which is called “turnkey”. World experience shows that it allows for a short time to achieve a radical improvement of quality of work done. Therefore, the emphasis in the development of the domestic construction industry will be on two main factors – the creation of large specialized building contractors equipped with modern technological base and improving the efficiency of existing due to the introduction of international experience and standards. In the next three years 88 such organizations will form with a total staff of more than 7,760 employees. They will be outfitted with 2,107 units of construction equipment, machinery, tools, as well as 229 production bases. To improve the efficiency of this process is planned to establish the National Specialized Modern Construction Equipment and Machinery, Small Tools and Special Vehicles Leasing Company, with branches in all regions of the country.
A significant role in improving the quality of construction works will play the Registry of construction and contracting companies, including more than 1.9 thousand construction contractors. On July 1, 2014 will come into force a new order to when the bidding for construction and installation work at facilities financed by centralized capital investments will be restricted to contractors on the roster. One more important point – organizations within it received a significant number of tax and customs privileges. They are exempt from corporate income tax for a term of 3 years from the date of the roster, as well as customs duties until the end of 2018 for imported equipment. The other day in the country was completed statistical survey of small construction companies and micro to equip building machines and mechanisms. All this altogether will allow experts and specialists form a complete picture of the situation in order to respond quickly to market changes, eliminate complexity and predict emerging promising directions for further development.
Last year, construction works in Uzbekistan made up more than UZS15 trillion (up 16.6% vs. 2012). Of total, 79.5% were new construction, reconstruction, expansion and modernization of enterprises, 19% were on the major and minor repairs, and 1.5% was other contract work.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)
International cooperation
UZSE and JPX sign memorandum of understanding
Uzbekistan Stock Exchange (UZSE) and Japan Exchange Group (JPX) signed a memorandum of understanding on 8 April 2014. The signing ceremony was held in Tashkent.
Within the memorandum, the UZSE and JPX will cooperate in improving securities market of two states through exchange of advanced experience, specialists and information on markets and operations.
The sides will also create joint working groups, hold conferences, seminars and educational training to improve understanding and studying securities markets of Japan and Uzbekistan
According to the memorandum, the main strategic direction of cooperation will be further improving such spheres as IPO and underwriting procedures, timely information disclosure, cooperation of listing departments, reviewing state of the markets, improving participation of public companies in development of securities market based on Japanese experience and use of IT-systems.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
Uzbekistan Havo Yollari starts to fly to Singapore
Uzbekistan Havo Yollari (Uzbekistan Airways) national airline carried out its first flight on direction Tashkent-Singapore on April 2014.
The airline said that the new flight was carried out with Boeing-767 airplane.
The Uzbek airline said that Uzbekistan and Singapore established diplomatic relations 17 years ago and using existing potential meets interests of two nations.
Singapore is interested in cooperation with such areas as mining and processing hydrocarbons, hotel businesses, tourism, textile and other spheres. Uzbekistan welcomes establishing cooperation among business circles of Singapore and Uzbekistan and attracting tourists from Singapore.
New regular flight will be firm and safe bridge, which will help to enrich cooperation of two states in trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
Great names of Uzbekistan
April 9 – the birthday of Amir Temur
Extensive efforts have been undertaken in Uzbekistan throughout the independent development years to reinvigorate the national spiritual values of our people, to restore the bright names of our great ancestors, study their legacy. The endeavors are consistently carried out to these days.
Amir Temur is an outstanding historical personality that affords a spiritual vigor to our national self-consciousness and that inspires us to bolster our national traditions and values, to cement such noble qualities distinct to our people as proclivity for constructive endeavor, selflessness in the name of welfare and prosperity of the native land, the sense of gratitude for the current happy days, and the confidence in the future. The life path of our great forefather who built a powerful state and left a rich practical and theoretical heritage in the development of Uzbek statehood, who opened a wide conduit for the advancement of science, culture, creativity, spirituality, is a school of invaluable experience for the contemporary generation.
At the initiative of President Islam Karimov, the year 1996 was announced in the country as the Year of Amir Temur. That same year, the 660th birthday anniversary of our great ancestor was celebrated in the international scale.
Magnificent monuments to the Sahibkiran were erected in Tashkent, Samarkand and Shahrisabz. A beautiful park, a major avenue, a metro station in the capital city, as well as a variety of institutions of culture and enlightenment across the nation are named after Amir Temur.
The State Museum of the History of the Temurids built in Tashkent, with its inimitable appearance and splendor, stirs admiration and reverence not only of our compatriots, but also of tourists and guests from around the world. The activities of the Amir Temur International Foundation and the Order of Amir Temur inspires the residents of Uzbekistan to consolidate the independence of our country and make one’s own worthwhile input into the advancement of the Motherland. With a foreword by the head of our state, the work “Codes of Temur” was republished in 2011 with a high printing standard, which became an important event in the cultural life of the nation.
Our people celebrate every year the birthday anniversary of the Sahibkiran in an elated mood. These days, on the 678th birthday anniversary of the great forefather, academic conferences, enlightenment events, panel discussions are underway in every region of the country, during which the participants note specifically that owing to the independence, everything necessary is created for the well-deserved veneration of Amir Temur, for a thorough study and extensive propaganda of his life and activities.
As the tradition goes, a ceremonial occasion took place April 9 at the metropolitan Amir Temur Park. It has been attended by members of the parliament, representatives of ministries, other government agencies and social organizations, writers and poets, academics as well as the student youths.
Chairman of the Amir Temur International Foundation – Director of the State Museum of the History of the Temurids Nozim Khabibullaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea in our country Lee Wook-Heon, the People’s Poet of Uzbekistan Sirojiddin Sayyid, the Temurids’ Studies scholar Hakim Sattori and other speakers at the event stressed that in the course of the reforms being undertaken under the leadership of President Islam Karimov directed at boosting the national self-consciousness, wide-ranging efforts are being marshaled to study the life path of Amir Temur and his contribution to the advancement of world civilization, to use extensively his rich spiritual legacy in fostering the youth in the spirit of patriotism and devotion to ideas of national independence.
The interest in enquiring into the rich heritage left by Amir Temur and the Temurids in the sphere of national statehood, promotion of science, culture, creativity and other areas has been growing steadily throughout the globe. Numerous artistic and socio-political works are being created in Uzbekistan and abroad and academic conferences are organized to address the input made by the Temurids into the development of world civilization. All this has been instrumental in discovering novelties in the personality of the Sahibkiran Amir Temur and his epoch.
As the head of our state once noted, those who wish to evaluate the power and might of the Uzbek nation, its justice, infinite abilities and capacities, the huge contribution made by this people to the development of the entire human race – and thus its belief in the future – they should recall the image of Amir Temur.
The immense creative potential of our ancestor, his wise principles of building a powerful justice-based country, of maintaining peace and harmony in it, of cementing the atmosphere of friendship and magnanimity in the society, of ensuring the wellbeing of the population have turned into a major criterion today in the socio-economic life of our native land. This year, announced at the initiative of the head of our state as the Year of the Healthy Child, these aspects are finding their reflection in the efforts dedicated to nurture a healthy and comprehensively advanced generation capable of becoming worthwhile successors to their great forefathers, of being the main driving force behind the steadfast reforms being implemented across all walks of life.
Those gathered for the event laid wreaths to the Amir Temur monument.
Khanaka.Sultanov, State Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, took part in the occasion.
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Later the day, the State Museum of the History of the Temurids hosted a panel discussion to address the role and significance of Amir Temur and the Temurids in the process of the evolution of the Uzbek statehood. It was attended by representatives of public, nongovernmental and social organizations, scientists, teachers and students.
The occasion included an exhibition entitled “The Legacy of Great Ancestors Is Eternal”.
Enlightenment events in tribute to Amir Temur’s birthday anniversary are in progress in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and all the regions of the nation.
(Source: Uzbekistan National News Agency)
Tourism
Geopark Sightseeing
Today, a branch of the tour industry that originated back in the 1980s – geotourism – has been gaining momentum all across the world. Geological natural monuments might be no less attractive for travelers than the manmade ones.
There are more and more geoparks in the world, backbone elements of which are geological natural monuments. Expansion of their networks is promoted by the authoritative international organizations – UNESCO, the International Union of Geological Sciences, the International Geographical Union and etc. A park protects geological objects from negative effects of all the factors, and the need to develop tourism infrastructure provides jobs for people living in areas, contributes to their well-being.
Efforts are underway to create national geoparks in Uzbekistan. This year, at regional and upcoming national fairs of innovative ideas, technologies and projects, the state-owned enterprise “Scientific-Research Institute of Mineral Resources” shows results of publicly funded research to assess geotourism potential.
“After establishment of a special research team within our institute in 2011, and acquiring public funds for these purposes, respective researches had become more purposeful,” said Chief Specialist Georgy Pyanovsky. “There is a high probability that Uzbekistan will offer new targets for development of the tourism industry. Travel companies have to work in this direction. Development of routes, including not only tours of architectural monuments, but also geological ones could become competitive product.”
Based on the UN Convention “On Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Earth”, scientists have chosen about 100 objects, characteristics of which can claim the status of geological monuments. An even larger number of objects is identified as redundant.
Exploring the country in geotourism’s point of view has allowed outlining possible borders of future geological parks. While, there are three of them.
An extraordinary object is east Ustyurt chink on the western shore of the Aral Sea. There are processes of destruction caused by both the geological structure of the plateau and hydrogeological, gravitational and other processes.
Another area suitable for organization of a geopark is southwest Gissar, where there are areas with undisturbed primary bedding layers, which is rare in the young and growing fold (mountain) regions.
The third promising area is upper Piskom. Here tourists will become familiar with processes that form the shape of geomorphological territory.
The further development of ideas for geoparks in Uzbekistan requires productive work not only on academics but also legislators, builders and representatives of many professions that will make unique natural sites more attractive for tourists as well as for a wide range of specialists.
(Source: “Uzbekistan Today” newspaper)