Production of ferrous metallurgy to go up by 11.1% in Uzbekistan. 1
Cement to be Put on Stream.. 1
“Uzbekiston Temir Yollari” transports 20.7 million passengers in 2015. 2
Uzbekistan constructs 1,800 km of optic fibre communication lines in 2015. 2
Uzbekistan: protecting the nature reserves. 2
economy
Production of ferrous metallurgy to go up by 11.1% in Uzbekistan
Over the past year, the enterprises of ferrous metallurgy of Uzbekistan produced goods worth 2.07 trillion soums, or 111.1% to the corresponding period last year. The share of industry in total industrial production comprised 2.3%, according to the information service of the State Statistics Committee. (currency rates of CB RU from 26.01.2016, 1$= 2831.49 soums)
The largest volume of ferrous products is produced by metallurgical enterprises of the Tashkent region (47.7% of the national volume of production of the industry) and the Tashkent city (45.1%).
Support towards small business activity contributed to the increase in volumes of steel products produced by small businesses by 56.8%. Thus, the share of their output in total industry comprised 20.2%.
According to the State Committee, at present Uzbekistan has 536 steel enterprises operating, of which 299 are engaged in the production of metalware, 99 enterprises – manufacture refractory products, 54 – produce ferrous metals. During the reporting year, 44 enterprises have been newly established in the industry.
(Source: UzReport.uz)
investments
Cement to be Put on Stream
A Turkish company Dal Teknik Makina Ticaret ve Sanayi is planning to complete a project on expanding the capacities of Jizzakh Cement Plant in August 2016.
As a result, the company’s capacities for the production of Portland cement will increase from 760,000 up to 1 million tons per year.
Under the contract, the Turkish company is responsible for the development of working documentation with regard to engineering design, delivery and installation of equipment, turn-key construction, installation and commissioning works. The contract’s total cost makes up $29 million.
It stands to reason why the Turkish company was selected as the general contractor: it built the plant worth more than $114.2 million. The facility was launched in March 2014, and created more than 500 jobs.
The factory is equipped with modern manufacturable equipment, which works on the ‘dry process’ technology with numerous advantages over the traditional method. For example, it reduces energy consumption by more than twice, and fuel – by almost 1.5 times.
The expansion of the plant’s capacity was financed by the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan and Ipoteka Bank in the amount of $14 million and $12.8 million respectively, as well as $9 million of private funds of Almalyk Mining and Smelting Plant, which incorporates the cement plant.
The production capacity of the facility exceeds 2,000 tons of cement for general construction, or about 1,000 tons of white cement per day. Experts estimated the reserves of limestone at Kutarma and Balyklitau deposits for 150 years as a main source of raw materials for the plant just a mile away.
The Turkish Dal Teknik Makina also signed a memorandum of understanding with Almalyk Mining and Smelting Plant on the construction of a new cement plant in Surkhandarya region. The estimated total project cost is about $250 million. After the commissioning in 2018, the plant will produce up to 1.5 million tons of Portland cement annually.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
tRANSPORT
“Uzbekiston Temir Yollari” transports 20.7 million passengers in 2015
The management Board of JSC “Uzbekiston Temir Yollari” has held a meeting where discussed the results of activity of the company in 2015.
The meeting was presided by the Chairman of the Board of JSC “Uzbekiston Temir Yollari” Achilbay Ramatov.
It was noted that in 2015 the volume of passenger traffic amounted to 3793 million passenger/km. Railway stations transported 67.7 million tons of cargo. Indicators of export services equivalent to $347.7 million.
In addition, the volume of provided paid services to the population over the past year amounted to 323.8 billion soums. (currency rates of CB RU from 26.01.2016, 1$= 2831.49 soums)
In 2015, 105 sections of locomotives underwent renovation, the service life of 1258 cars was extended. At that, 240 km of railways were repaired and 98.5 km of new railways were constructed.
Foundry and mechanical plant released 50 indoor and 278 semi-enclosed wagons. The Andijan mechanical plant continued the production of 4-axle new tanks.
In total, 50 new tank wagons and 272 semi-open wagons were produced in 2015.
According to the Investment program of JSC “Uzbekiston Temir Yollari”, which was approved by the presidential decree, in 2015, it was scheduled to utilize from all sources of financing $734.9 million. On fact, this figure made up $755.16 million, i.e. 102.8% to the forecast.
(Source: UzReport.uz)
TECHNOLOGIES
Uzbekistan constructs 1,800 km of optic fibre communication lines in 2015
Uzbekistan constructed over 1,800 km of optic fibre communication lines in 2015, the session of the Board of the Ministry for development of information technologies and communications of Uzbekistan dedicated to 2015 results said.
At the session, it was said that over 1,800 km of optic fibre communication lines were built in 2015 in order to develop high speed broadband Internet.
The Ministry said that Uzbekistan launched new communication line on DWDM technology with the speed up to 100 Gbps on Tashkent-Bukhara area in 2015.
Telecommunication equipment were installed as part of the works on the further expansion of backbone networks, which will increase the capacity in the international direction by 10 times, the center of each region of the country by 4 times, to the district center by 10 times. The bandwidth capacity of the telecommunication network of Tashkent city increased by 10 times, the ministry said.
This will contribute to the further development of national content on the Internet, online services, converged services, such as high-speed Internet, video telephony, IP-TV, HDTV-view channels and other, the ministry noted.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
Ecology
Uzbekistan: protecting the nature reserves
Protected areas play an important role in preservation and restoration of many species of animals and plants, especially endangered. They also serve as natural laboratories where scientists carry out their research. Further development of these areas is crucial task of the state and society.
It was emphasized at the round table meeting held in Tashkent which discussed the issues of development and expansion of protected areas.
Uzbekistan has eight registered nature reserves, two national parks, the Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve, the Republican Center for breeding of rare species of animals “Adelia”, and seven natural monuments. The total area of these protected natural areas is about 2.4 million hectares.
The presentations made at this meeting provided detailed information on all reserves, national parks, which are formed relatively in recent times. These areas enabled such forms of controlled use of natural resources as tourism, harvesting of forest products, and agriculture.
The Zaamin Reserve, the first national reserve opened in the country carefully preserves highland juniper, white-clawed bear listed in the Red Book, snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, black stork, and others. The largest Hissar reserve (the area of 81 thousand. ha) has more than 900 species of higher plants and nearly 270 species of vertebrates. Besides, such cultural and historical sites as the sacred tomb of Hazratsultan, the cave of Amir Temur, and fossilized dinosaur footprints are located in the boundaries of this national reserve.
The speakers noted the improvements environmental legislation. In recent years, a number of changes and amendments were made to the laws “On Environmental Protection” and “On Protected Areas”, legal acts regulating the use of flora and fauna with purpose to improve rational use of flora and fauna.
The project aiming the expansion of the entire system of protected areas up to 8.1 million hectares, i.e. 17% of the territory of the republic is prepared in the framework of this work. It is envisaged to open new and enlarge existing protected areas, so that all types of natural ecosystems of the country were covered by protected areas.
Specifically, it is planned to create more protected clusters in the Aral Sea region with the goal to mitigate the consequences of the tragedy of the Aral Sea. This project covers the National Park “Southern Ustyurt” (an area of 1.42 million hectares), the “Central Kyzyl Kum” (1.1 million hectares), the reserve “Kuldzhuktau” (174.2 thousand. ha), and others. The preparatory works is underway for the opening of the complex landscape reserve “Saigachiy” with purpose to save the population of sayga antelope on the Ustyurt Plateau in Karakalpakstan.
The State Committee of Nature Protection in conjunction with inspections carries out the raids in the national reserves to prevent and detect the violations of environmental laws. In particular, in 2015 more than 5 thousand violations were discovered and necessary measures were taken with regard to those found responsible.
The participants of the meeting exchanged views on enhancing the effectiveness of natural resources management, coordination between governmental agencies and civil society institutions, and development of eco-tourism.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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