January 17, 2014
(extraordinary)
THE SESSION OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN.. 2
Islam Karimov: Uzbekistan’s GDP in 2014 increased by 8.1%.. 2
THE SESSION OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERSOF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Islam Karimov: Uzbekistan’s GDP in 2014 increased by 8.1%
The Cabinet of Ministers January 16 held a session, dedicated to the results of socio-economic development of the country in 2014 and the priorities of economic program for 2015.
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov made a presentation at the meeting.
In his speech, the head of our state noted that, despite the negative impact of the ongoing global financial and economic crisis, the slowdown of the global economy and the deepening of the processes of stagnation and recession in many countries, in Uzbekistan as a result of purposeful and systematic implementation of the main priorities of economic program for 2014 achieved consistently high rates of economic development and its leading industries.
By the end of 2014, gross domestic product grew by 8.1%, the volume of industrial production by 8.3%, agricultural production – by 6.9%, capital construction – 10.9%, retail trade turnover – by 14.3%t. About 70 percent of the production were finished goods with high added value.
The inflation rate made up 6.1 percent, which is significantly lower than predicted parameters. The state budget was executed with a surplus of 0.2 percent of GDP while reducing the tax burden from 20.5% to 20.0% of GDP and the reduction in the rate of income tax from 9 to 8 percent.
Reforming and strengthening the banking system has created the necessary preconditions for the reduction in 2014 refinancing rate of the Central Bank from 12 to 10 percent and a corresponding decrease in interest rates on credits of commercial banks. In recent years, leading international rating agencies assess the banking system of Uzbekistan as “stable”.
As a result of implementation of well thought-out active investment policy on large-scale modernization, technical and technological renewal of production, social, traffic and communication infrastructure, the volume of investment in the economy increased by 10.9 percent and amounted to the equivalent of $14.6 billion. Hereby over 21.2 percent of all capital investments amounted to foreign investments and loans, of which three fourth were foreign direct investments. More than 73 percent of all investments aimed at the production building. In the leading industries was commissioned 154 major object worth $4.2 billion, with modern high-tech equipment.
Continued implementation of measures to support and encourage the domestic manufacturers, exporters, increase the competitiveness of their products and developing new markets. The foreign trade balance was fulfilled with a positive balance in the amount of $180 million, and foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.6 billion.
Implemented systematic measures to improve the business environment and create more favorable conditions for development of small business and private entrepreneurship, including the implementation of the principle of “one window” on creating a business, in maximum simplified the mechanism of small businesses on provision of statistical and tax reporting, significantly expanded access of private entrepreneurs to raw materials. As a result, the share of small business in GDP has increased over the period since 2000 from 31 to 56 percent, and industrial production – from 12.9 to 31.1 percent.
The share of services in GDP has increased from 53 to 54 percent. Among the high-tech services most intensively developing services for communications and Informatization, which over the last five years has increased 3.3 times, and over the past year 24.5 per cent.
Dynamic and balanced development of the economy has created a solid framework to consistently improve the quality of the population life. Wages of employees of budget organizations, pensions and scholarships has increased over the past year by 23.2%. Real income per capita increased by 10.2 percent. Created about 1 million jobs, of which 60 percent are in rural areas, employed more than 600 thousand of graduates of educational institutions.
In his report, the President of our country in detail and comprehensively reviewed the existing unresolved issues and elaborated on implementation of key priorities and areas of socio-economic development of the country in 2015. The government, ministries, departments, business associations and local authorities at all levels commissioned to take necessary measures to further maintain high rates of economic growth, expansion of structural transformations in the economy, modernization and diversification of the leading industries, the deepening of localization of production, the development of transport and engineering infrastructure.
Special attention has been paid to ensure the implementation of policy measures to achieve this year’s goals, defined in connection with the announcement of this year as a “Year of attention and care of the older generation”, including measures to provide proper attention and comprehensive support to older people, first of all, veterans of war and labor front 1941-1945, improving the level and quality of their medical and social services, the provision of required auxiliary and technical means of rehabilitation, to raise to a qualitatively new level of system organization of life and leisure of older people.
According to the results of the discussion, a decision was made, which identified practical measures to ensure the implementation of key priorities of economic program of the country in 2015.
(Source: UzReport.uz)
Society
Safeguards of Prosperity
Every morning, we go to work or school with a sense of security, and come back home and go to bed at night with confidence in tomorrow. Would this be possible without peace and harmony in our country? Definitely not.
The atmosphere of public peace is deemed a key prerequisite for sustained and versatile development of our country on its way toward the cherished goal of entering the ranks of developed countries with high living standards. Therefore, those who have chosen the duty of protecting the peace and tranquility of their Homeland as their profession, are highly honored and respected by people. Motherland Defenders Day, which is widely celebrated in Uzbekistan on January 14, proves the truth.
The Turkiston Palace hosted a grand ceremony, which brought together soldiers, sergeants, officers and generals, veterans of the Armed Forces, parents of military servicemen, and representatives of the general public.
Under the Presidential Decree of January 12, 2015, on the occasion of the Motherland Defenders Day a team of officials of law enforcement agencies, Ministries of Defense and Emergency were honored with awards of the Motherland, orders and medals.
“Every young man wants to serve his nation faithfully and with dignity,” says Sodiq Hizmatlari Uchun (For Faithful Services) Medal awardee and Deputy Commander of the military district of the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan, Colonel Lochinbek Mamajonov. “I am proud to serve my country. We, the military, always feel care and attention for our state. This feeling gives us strength and energy, it is a kind of spiritual support.”
On the occasion of the remarkable date, grand celebrations throughout the country honored military personnel, veterans, their families and parents. For the first time they applied up-to-date information and communication technologies. For instance, the mothers of soldiers from Jizzakh Region, who undergo military service in other regions of the country, were able to communicate with their sons from the regional center through a video conference.
“Seeing my son Jamshid Sirojiddinov with a bouquet of flowers was a big surprise and gift for me on Motherland Defenders Day,” says Maryam Mustafayeva of Farish District, Jizzakh Region. “He is doing well; he honestly carries out his constitutional obligation. I feel much better after seeing him.”
As President Islam Karimov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, emphasized in his congratulatory message to the defenders of the homeland on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan, the country has always been committed to the principles of peace-loving policy. Our Military Doctrine is defensive in nature, so the strengthening of the country’s Armed Forces is primarily aimed at protecting state sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and tranquility of our people. Our Defense Doctrine doesn’t envisage participation of our armed forces in the military actions and operations beyond the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
The state’s leader focused on the outcomes of defense building, pointing out the fact that “the process of building and shaping modern democratic Uzbekistan has always been inseparably linked with the establishment of its Armed Forces, which have been tempered in tough conditions of our environs, and repeatedly proved to be a reliable guarantor of ensuring independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful and tranquil life of our Homeland.”
Even on the holiday the military officers highlighted professional issues. The President underscored that in the complicated and unpredictable situation in the region and the world it is vital to stay vigilant and resist to the sense of complacency with what has been achieved, to maintain vigorous efforts on the further reformation of the Armed Forces, to enhance their preparedness to suppress any attempt of provoking tension on our borders, provide prompt and appropriate repulse to any aggressive action against the development policy we have been pursuing.
Assessing the current situation, the message noted that “we cannot but acknowledge the remarkable expansion of the range of threats for the international security and stability in our near and far environs. They include the predominance of coercive approach in conflict settlement, intensification of geopolitical competition for the control over raw resources and communications, proliferation of nuclear technologies and weapon of mass destruction, catalyzed forces of international terrorism and ‘creeping expansion’ of extremism, aggravation of inter-ethnic and inter-religious confrontation.”
As noted at the meeting, the drawdown of peacekeeping troops from Afghanistan has been a serious trial for all countries of the Central Asian region. As proved by the experience of Iraq, any emerging vacuum may be filled by various destructive and terrorist groups capable to disseminate their destructive influence to vast territories of the region in a short period of time.
Unconventional challenges are fundamentally changing the face of international conflicts. We are currently seriously threatened by information and psychological influence that target at undermining the foundations of our army, primarily through attacking its moral foundations. The advanced Internet technologies bring in the minds of our young people destructive ideas and concepts that are contrary to our rich culture and spiritual values and traditions.
Meanwhile, experts agree that Uzbekistan has an up-to-date national army which is capable to effectively fulfill tactical and strategic missions on security, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, protection of the peaceful life of the people. At the same time, the country is taking consistent steps for its further development.
Strengthening of the logistical capacity of the Armed Forces has always been in the spotlight. For example, a new building of the conscription reserve mobilization battalion has recently been commissioned in Andijan, which provided all conditions for soldiers. There is a practical training ground, well equipped rooms for theoretical training, comfortable sleeping quarters.
“My son underwent monthly training in this battalion,” says a teacher of school №31 of Namangan, Khurshida Gafurova. “As a mother, I am pleased that in our country is doing its best to create exemplary conditions for our sons during their emergency military service.”
Certain measures are taken to modernize and re-equip the troops with the latest weapons and equipment, including air defense facilities, helicopters, armored vehicles, artillery systems, means of communication, individual and group protection means.
It is vital to broadly apply the experience we have accumulated in the process of formation and reformation of the national army in terms of organizing an integrated and purposeful work with all categories of servicemen and pre-conscription youth. The military service has acquired a special meaning for the young generation, it is getting increasingly popular. It is attractive not just by benefits and high level of social and financial welfare for the servicemen, but primarily owing to the fact that the army has truly turned into a school of life which nurtures courage, firmness, high feeling of patriotism and selfless love for the Homeland.
From the first days of independence Uzbekistan has been taking efforts on the establishment of the mechanism of providing the Armed Forces with erudite, progressively thinking, intellectually advanced military staff with high professional and spiritual features, capable to effectively fulfill certain missions in the modern conditions of brief battle. Today, the Academy of the Armed Forces, military academies and sergeant schools provide training of the military staff on the platform of the latest knowhow that ensures the implementation of innovative forms and methods of teaching using advanced information and communication technologies.
The in-depth study and adaptation of the system of training and organization of the military service of the armed forces in the developed foreign countries to our conditions make tangible contribution to enhancement of the professional skills of the officer and sergeant staff.
The practical measures that are currently being taken in the military sector help the commissioner officers to expand their outlook and erudition. They have highly professional, spiritual and moral features, they think in a cohesive way, and actively apply unconventional approaches in missions. Sergeants have truly become a reliable and irreplaceable support for the officers, and caring leaders for our soldiers.
Over the recent years, the work with staff has been focused on accumulation of experience, advancement and enhancement of the knowledge of basic principles and knowhow of modern military operations, training skills to quickly navigate and make decisions in extreme and difficult conditions, using advanced and high-precision weapons and other peculiarities of combat operations.
The Command of the Armed Forces has been prioritizing the enhancement of effective planning, organization and conduct of command, staff and tactical training, which they consider the platform for practicing various models of combat operations in the modern theater of war.
Modern scientists are fundamentally different from those that took place in the early years of independence. They go in as close to combat conditions, allow a critical analysis of all the training of troops, to assess the capabilities of each battalion and platoon, as well as the appropriateness and adequacy of the chosen methods complement of combat missions in terms of interchangeability of units and acquisition personnel related specialties.
The present day training radically differs from what was practiced in the early years of independence. They are optimally approximated to the combat conditions, allowing critically analyzing the entire system of troop training, assessing the capabilities of each battalion and platoon, as well as expediency and adequacy of the chosen ways of accomplishing combat tasks from the point of view of interchangeability of sub-units and learning related professions.
Training of combat platoons and groups has been incrementally streamlined. It envisages learning of good skills on comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the situation, unconventional decision-making, skillful management of units during independent combat missions by the command staff, and learning of related specialties, new equipment and weapons by the military personnel. It has, if necessary, to ensure the interchangeability of specialists and highly coherent work of all units.
The issues of social protection of servicemen, their primary provision with modern and comfortable accommodation are deemed as a priority task in Uzbekistan. This is natural, since socially secured servicemen, as well as well-trained, strong, and well equipped armed forces are likely to ensuring the state’s security.
For example, new high-rise 436 apartment buildings were built and commissioned for the families of border troops of the National Security of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2014 alone. One of them, the 30-apartment house was built in the city of Termez.
“The two-bedroom apartment in a new home for our family has become a worthy holiday gift on the threshold of the Motherland Defenders Day,” says an officer Bahodir Zulfikorov. “I am so pleased to see the delight of my children, as we have a modern playground and a summer swimming pool next to the house.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the holiday in a new apartment with spacious and comfortable rooms and up-to-date household equipment,” shares Dilrabo Alikulova, the wife of a junior sergeant Khikmatullo Kadyrov. “Now, being on duty, my husband may not worry for the welfare of his family, that is me and our two sons. We have a roof over our heads, and everything we need for a normal life.”
The conscripts know that heroic performance of duty to the Motherland will be decently rewarded: the exemplary service is rewarded by recommendations for admission to higher education institutions on preferential terms.
The veterans are cared as well. In his message the President, the Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan stressed that “2015, the ‘Year of Attention and Care for the Elder Generation’ entrusts us with unconditional implementation of the approved governmental resolutions and state programs aimed at further strengthening of financial and social support of participants of war and veterans of the Armed Forces, rendering them an utmost care and natural humane attention.”
These words are particularly relevant in the current conditions, when many veterans and teachers keep enthusiastically working for the good of the state, sharing their unique experience and passing on their knowledge to a new generation of defenders of the Motherland.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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