INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 245

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INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 245

uzbek_digestPOLItiCs. 2

President of Uzbekistan signs Law “On electronic government”. 2

investments. 3

Development prospects in the fruit-and-vegetables processing sector by attracting foreign investment 3

Jizzakh special industrial zone.. 4

“Roison Home White Goods” Uzbek-British joint venture, specialized in the production of modern electrical products, opened in Jizzakh special industrial zone. 4

 

 

POLItiCs

President of Uzbekistan signs Law “On electronic government”

10 December 2015, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed the Law “On electronic government”. It will enter into force upon expiry of six months from the date of its official publication.

The law was adopted by the Legislative chamber on 18 November and approved by the Senate on 3 December.

The main purpose of the law is to regulate relations in the field of e-government.

The general provisions of the law comprise the basic objectives and principles of e-government, the principle of openness and transparency of activities of state bodies and etc.

Followings are defined as the main objectives of e-government:

– ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of activities of state bodies, strengthening of their responsibility and executive discipline, the creation of additional mechanisms to ensure feedback with the population and business entities;

– creation of opportunities for applicants throughout the country for the implementation of relations with public authorities within e-government;

– formation of databases of the state bodies within the framework of their functions on the Single portal of state interactive services and the Single electronic register of state services;

– introduction of “one window” principle in public administration system in conducting relations with the public and business entities through the formation of mechanisms of electronic document management, interaction and exchange of information between the databases of public authorities;

– transfer of businesses to use electronic document management, including in processes of presentation of statistical reporting, customs clearance, issuance of licenses, permits, certificates, as well as obtaining information from state bodies;

– extending usage by businesses of electronic commerce, sales and procurement through the world wide network, as well as the introduction of automated systems of accounting, control and payment of utilities;

– development of a system of cashless electronic payments, public procurement, remote access and other electronic forms of activities in banking and finance.

According to the law, the state regulation in the field of e-government is exercised by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry for development of information technologies and communications, which is the authorized body in the field of e-government and other public authorities.

The law also contains information about a procedure for the evaluation of quality of rendering of electronic state services. Thus, in accordance with the law, evaluation of quality of rendering of electronic state services is carried out by the authorized body in the field of e-government on the basis of the methodology approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as public opinion research. The results of the assessment of quality of rendering of electronic state services are subject to the regular publication in mass media. State bodies, providing e-government services, are obliged to take measures to improve the quality of their provision based on the results of the evaluation.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan entrusted to lead the government’s decision in accordance with this law and shall ensure the revision and cancellation by bodies of state governance of their normative legal acts contradicting the law.

(Source: UzReport.uz)

investments

Development prospects in the fruit-and-vegetables processing sector by attracting foreign investment

In the agrarian industry of Uzbekistan’s economy, including the fruit-and-vegetables sector, one can observe numerous signs of development that tends to speed up owing to several factors such as structural reforms, an increase in the number and the intensity of the activity carried out by farms, realization of preferential crediting mechanisms, opportune financial backing, as well as thanks to a more efficient utilization of material-technical resources.

The Republic of Uzbekistan possesses an enviable potential in terms of agricultural resources, allowing the national agrarian sector to cultivate over 7 million tons of fruit and vegetables a year. Today, more than 1.7 million tons of produce are grown in such sectors as gardening and viticulture, plus some 5 million tons of vegetables, potatoes, melons, water-melons and gourds. The fruit and vegetables produced in the Republic are notable for their matchless gustatory characteristics. Since olden times, Uzbekistan was renowned for its apples, peaches, pears, sweet cherries, plums, grapes, quinces, water-melons, melons etc. Many sub-tropical fruit varieties are also successfully cultivated here, including figs, pomegranates, persimmons and others.

At the same time, let it be noted that the potential of the national fruit-and-vegetables sector far exceeds the current indicators. In this connection, it makes sense to consider a number of issues surrounding the creation in the country of new varieties of fruit and vegetables to be subject to deep processing, which will be highly competitive in foreign markets.

Since the acquisition of state independence, a great number of joint venture enterprises have been established in the national fruit-and-vegetables industry. Investors from Germany, Turkey, Russia, Switzerland, the US, South Korea and other countries have invested heavily in the creation of production facilities to turn out juices, jams, tomato paste, dried and frozen fruit and vegetables etc. The annual production volume of processed fruit and vegetables exceeds 16 million tons.

The Association of Food-Industry Enterprises of the Republic of Uzbekistan incorporates more than 180 producers specializing in the production of confectionery, bottled fruit, soft drinks, dairy produce, meat products and vegetable oil. In Uzbekistan, about 10,000 large-scale and small enterprises are engaged in foodstuffs production.

The Republic’s food industry these days is at a new stage of development. The National Program of measures to expand and further develop the food industry between 2015 and 2019 stipulates a tangible increase in production volumes of the main groups of foodstuffs.

As many as 26 groups of foodstuffs with high value added are planned to turn out in Uzbekistan. In the next five years, 330 investment projects, for a total of US $500 million, will be realized in the indigenous food industry. Special attention is devoted to the organization of production of the following foodstuffs: baby foods, ketchup, confectionery, sublimated half-finished products from fruit and vegetables, bouillon cubes and food spices, as well as equipment for enterprises operating in the fat-and-oil and food sectors and spare parts thereto.

It should also be added that the export volumes of fruit and vegetables in the Republic tend to swell with each passing year, both in terms of quantity and value, with the geography of such exports expanding steadily.

Over the past decade, the export volumes of fruit and vegetables in physical terms have gone up from 400,000 tons to more than 700,000 tons. Taking into consideration an increased range of output, the volume of exports in value terms has grown 18-fold in the indicated period.

For the time being, the country’s leaders are attaching great importance to the development of the fruit- and- vegetables industry. The Presidential Decree No УП-3709, “On measures to intensify economic reforms in fruit-and-vegetables growing and vine-growing” dated 9th January, 2006 and Presidential Resolution No ПП-255, “On organizational measures to reform fruit-and-vegetables growing and vine-growing” dated 11th January, 2006 specified the main prerequisites needed to ensure the sector’s further development. The existing potential of the national fruit-and-vegetables sector is vast, indeed, and if Uzbekistan succeeds in realizing it correctly and purposefully, it will able to become one of the world’s biggest producers and exporters of high-quality competitive fruit and vegetables.

(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)

Jizzakh special industrial zone

“Roison Home White Goods” Uzbek-British joint venture, specialized in the production of modern electrical products, opened in Jizzakh special industrial zone

The enterprise with a project cost of 26.6 million US dollars, will be capable of producing 650 thousand units of home appliances per year, , including 100,000 refrigerators, 50,000 air conditioners, 50,000 washing machines, 100,000 gas stoves, 100,000 LED-TV sets, 50,000 vacuum cleaners and 200,000 electric furnaces.

Currently the first stage of the enterprise, which cost 15.3 million US dollars, has been completed. This phase involves manufacturing 325 000 units of home appliances of 6 types and has created 200 new jobs.

– Here we will be producing refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines under such famous brands as “Roison”, “Candy” and “Hoover”, said the head of the company Mirakmal Hidoyatov. – In the future, we plan exports to the CIS countries. With the launch of the second phase 340 people will be employed at the enterprise.

8 industrial enterprises have started operating in Jizzakh special industrial zone this year. 3 more enterprises are expected to be commissioned by the end of the year.

(Source: UzA)

 

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