Business Environment in Uzbekistan through the eyes of entrepreneurs. 1
An evening with folk bakhshi of Uzbekistan in Tashkent 1
Chimgan was chosen as one of the best alpine ski resorts in the CIS. 2
Society
Business Environment in Uzbekistan through the eyes of entrepreneurs
The vast majority of entrepreneurs and farmers appreciate the business climate in Uzbekistan, according to the findings of a sociological survey: “Business Environment in Uzbekistan through the eyes of entrepreneurs”, conducted by the Center for Public Opinion Research “Ijtimoiy Fikr “.
According to Information Agency “Jahon “, the survey included representatives of national business with different work experience and level of education, from all regions of the republic.
The high index rate of business environment (0.91) was confirmed by a positive attitude of respondents in the assessments. They value the conditions that were created for entrepreneurship (97.3%), further improvement (94.3%), as well as equality of opportunities for successful business activity (82.6% ). The study showed that the process of registration of enterprises in the republic is carried out within the framework established by the legislation, and the majority of employers (71.6%) spent less than 7 days on registration. The vast majority of farmers (85-94%) faced no difficulties in obtaining land, credit and agricultural machinery.
The survey showed that the process of obtaining a permit or license is quite transparent and, according to 76.2% of respondents does not require any unofficial payments. The majority of employers (80.9%) rated it as easy.
It was found that certification for produced or sold products, goods, or services was required from only 38.7% among respondents, of which 67.6% rate it as a simple and fast process. 86.1% were required to have 1 to 3 certificates. The process of obtaining the certificate is quite transparent and, according to 82.9% of respondents, does not require any unofficial payments.
Index of assessment of the tax system in Uzbekistan characterizes it as effective, combining equally the interests of citizens and the state, as well as stimulating business activity. The tax system is considered to be generally quite simple. According to them, it promotes legalization of all proceeds from economic activity of the enterprise.
The survey participants reponded positively regarding the bank activity in the country. 82% of entrepreneurs claim, that they faced no cases of extortion by the management or employees of banks in the process of obtaining loans.
(Source: NA «Uzbekistan Today»)
CULTURE
An evening with folk bakhshi of Uzbekistan in Tashkent
If you want to plunge into antiquity and enjoy the magical melody of dastans – be sure to visit the evening.
Dostans are an integral part of the rich and unique culture of our people. Centuries passed, but the interest in them has not died away. The capital hosted an evening with folk epic Bakhshi of Uzbekistan, Abdunazar Ponoev.
“Uzbek folk songs arose on the basis of archaic Turkic folklore and our ancient national history. The musical art of Uzbekistan can be traced back to four regions, which is reflected in the formation of original schools of narrators: Samarkand, Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, Khorezm and Karakalpakstan. Dastans are based on legends about national heroes, historical events, people’s lives, wars and battles, and off course love. People gathered around a large bonfire and listened to stories. Small dostans last two to three hours, longer ones can last ten-fifteen, and even twenty hours. Dostans were passed on from one mahalla to the next. It’s hard to believe, but these traditions exist to this day.” Husniddin Atoyev project manager of the event, told Uzbekistan Today.
Dastans are traditionally chanted in a special throat singing manner and the singer plays the lute or kobuz (two-stringed bowed instrument). AbdunazarPonoev sings dastans for more than thirty years. Bahshi performed in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Taiwan, Turkey, Switzerland and France. Several dastans and songs performed by him are recorded and stored in the ” golden fund” of radio. The famous artist was awarded the title of the ‘People’s Bakhshi of Republic of Uzbekistan’.
“Sounds of dombra always awake incredible feelings within me,” says Bakhshi. “Music is a means of opening the spiritual world of a hero and creating a wholesome composition. Tunes of dastans are called “nama” or “nagma”. The more diversity in the performance of nama, the more interesting it is for the listener. But Dastan is not a song. Songs are sung and dostans are narrated.”
The event attracted a lot of people of all ages and tastes. During the break, we had a chance to talk with the Ambassador of the Republic of Bangladesh, Mosud Mannan, who shared his impressions: “Uzbekistan’s rich culture never ceases to amaze me. Whenever I visit your country, I always try not to miss a musical evening. Last week I enjoyed the performance of the group ” Manzur ” from Bukhara.Today this wonderful Bakhshi made this evening unforgetable. In my country, we have a lot of regions, each with its own characteristics of music. I compared uzbek folk songs with songs from Bangladesh and found similarities. Unfortunately, I can not enjoy the semantic content of the dostan, but I enjoyed the music with its rich variety of timbre and dynamic sounds.”
The thrill of live performance is indeed incredible. Dostans can’t be described in words, they must be heard and felt.
(Source: NA «Uzbekistan Today»)
Tourism
Chimgan was chosen as one of the best alpine ski resorts in the CIS
Last December, Chimgan was chosen as one of the best alpine ski resorts in the CIS by magazine Forbes Russia. The magazine noted that Chimgan and Beldersay are the two most famous ski resorts in the country and have a long season from late November to early May.
Chimgan is located 85km from Tashkent on the spurs of Chatkal ridge at an altitude of 1600 meters. The main peak of the adjacent mountain area is Big Chimgan (3309 m). It can be compared with the peak of the giant star, which has slopes on every side. Chimgan – which means ‘green slope’ is a great place for skiing.
“Chimgan slopes are equipped with chair lifts and several ski toeing equipment located on different slopes,” says the head of ‘Uzbektourism’ Abdulaziz Okkulov. “They are the most interesting for the entry level training of skiers. As a rule, cross-country skiers who have reached the 3-5th grade and wishing to continue their education, go to the slopes of Beldersay.
Several hotels and tourist areas provide living cottages and ski, snowboard and sleigh rental services. During the winter tourists from Tashkent, other cities of Uzbekistan and even foreign visitors fill the slopes of Chimgan. The locals offer horseback riding attractions and have launched several national cuisine joints in the area. The main touristic seasons are the winter and the spring. During the winter, this is the best place for cross-country skiers and during the spring it is popular among climbers and paraglide enthusiasts.
Chimgan has a developed infrastructure. The slopes all face the main road. There are several slopes and all of them are equipped with chair lifts and other ski toeing facilities. The number of ski renting services is also increasing. Despite the steady snow cover and an abundance of snowfall and rains, it is surprising just how many sunny days there are in the winter. At nights, it is very cold, but the day is most often very hot.
Beldersay is located next to the slopes of Chimgan, just 4 km down the road. This is a stunningly beautiful place! Here, in the shadow of the dense juniper forests, the snow lasts longer, and there is a variety of options for skiing down the hill, which will be plenty of fun even for the most professional skiers. From the foot to the top of the Kumbel Mountain, which has a height of 2,200 meters, there is a 3-kilometer long chairlift cableway. In addition to skiing, there are other equally interesting extreme sports available on this slope like horse riding, quad riding, paragliding and much more.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
Reference to the source is a must in reproducing materials