April 17, 2015
Uzbekistan to increase cement production up to 8.9 million tonnes by 2020. 2
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan.. 2
MPs consider several draft laws. 2
Investment cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the French Development Agency 2
economy
Uzbekistan to increase cement production up to 8.9 million tonnes by 2020
Uzbekistan is planning to expand production of cement up to 8.9 million tonnes by 2020, increasing annual production by 3.5%.
The parameters of cement production were approved by the programme of measures on ensuring structural reforms, modernization and diversification of production for 2015-2019.
The programme envisages implementation of the projects on modernization of production capacities of Kyzylkumcement with the cost of US$30.7 million and milling department of Bekabadcement with the cost of US$5.5 million.
Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Combine will increase capacity of the cement plant in Jizzakh region. The combine completed construction of cement plant with the cost of US$114.2 million in March 2014. Within the project with the cost of US$35.8 million, it is planned to increase capacity of the cement production from 760,000 to 1 million tonnes of Portland cement a year.
Within the programme, AGMK will construct new cement plant in Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region with the capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of Portland cement by 2019. The preliminary cost of the project is US$225 million.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan
MPs consider several draft laws
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan considered several draft laws on 15 April directed at further improving social-economic sphere and international relations.
The MPs considered a draft law “On electronic commerce” in new edition in the second reading, the press service of the Legislative Chamber said.
The draft law is directed at improving legal framework for electronic commerce. The document was developed based on international experience and discussed with participation of the experts and population.
The document will help to create additional conditions for developing business activities and improving business climate, simplify procedures of signing deals, etc.
The MPs considered the draft law and passed it in the second reading. They entrusted the corresponding committee to prepare the document for the third reading, taking into account proposals and suggestions.
The MPs also discussed draft laws on ratification of several international documents and other issues of jurisdiction of the Legislative Chamber.
(Source: UzDaily.com)
International cooperation
Investment cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the French Development Agency
22 years have elapsed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and France, one of Uzbekistan’s important partners in the European Union.
Over the past period, France has become one of the key trading and economic partners of Uzbekistan in Europe. As a telling example of Uzbek-French fruitful cooperation, let’s take the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries, which has exceeded US $322.6 million in 2013.
In 2009, with a view to promoting the development of two-way relations between the countries, the government of France has authorized the French Development Agency (FDA) to deploy activity in Uzbekistan, being guided by the mandate for facilitating the ecological and economic development.
The French Development Agency was set up in 1941 as a financial institution, acting on behalf of the government of the French Republic.
The FDA carries out its activities in more than 90 developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, Near East, South America and in France’s overseas territories.
The Agency’s activity focuses on the following directions:
– Struggle against poverty (water-supply, sanitation, public health, education, agriculture etc.);
– Promotion of economic growth (support of private enterprises, development of infrastructure);
– Preservation of global public good things of life (struggle against climate change and pandemics, preservation of bio-diversity).
The French Development Agency allots credits on preferential terms and grants to finance projects in areas, such as the development of rural regions, urban infrastructure, transport, education, power engineering, health protection, telecommunications, housing construction, banking and micro-financing and tourism.
On March 2, 2013, the countries have signed the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding between the Republic of Uzbekistan (in the person of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade) and the French Development Agency.
Today, a number of projects are being developed together with the FDA. The Memorandum of Mutual Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the French Development Agency has been signed in France on March 12, 2014, regarding the implementation of the project “Introduction of the solid domestic waste utilization system in the town of Samarkand”, worth US $46.5 million, using FDA credit facilities allotted on preferential terms. The project’s main objective is to improve the services associated with the collection, management, reliable transportation and utilization of solid domestic waste, speeding up the realization of initiatives to decrease the volume of solid domestic waste, and reliable exploitation and maintenance of dumps and places of SDW collection and storage.
The project covers the town of Samarkand with its 500,000-strong population. Like the town of Bukhara, Samarkand is one of the country’s cultural and tourist centers. In 2001, the old part of Samarkand was granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.
The French side has selected Naldeo, a consultancy, to accomplish the project’s technical and economic assessment.
The French Development Agency expresses its interest in expanding cooperation with Uzbekistan in the allotment of long-term credits on preferential terms, towards the cost of projects in the following fields: public utilities, transport, sanitation, water management, farming, alternative sources of power etc. Besides, the FDA is interested in the co-financing of big projects in Uzbekistan, developed together with other international financial institutions, like the Asian Development Bank, JICA, the World Bank etc.
(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)
BUSINESS CLIMATE
The Fund for support of export of small business and private entrepreneurship facilitated 924 businesses
As a result of the development of modern industries based on high technologies in our country, the competitiveness and strengthening of the position of national products on the world market as well as the export potential of small business and entrepreneurship is increasing. The Fund for support of export of small business and private entrepreneurship under the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan is significantly contributing to the expansion of the export potential of small businesses, providing them with the necessary legal, financial and organizational support.
By the results of the 1st quarter of this year, the Fund provided legal, financial and organizational services to 924 business entities for promoting of goods and services to foreign markets, as a result of which 315 business entities made an export in the total amount of $220.4 million.
– During the 1st quarter of 2015 the Fund assisted entrepreneurs in different directions. In particular, 674 entrepreneurs have received assistance for the studying of the foreign markets, including 65 in finding foreign partners. In addition, 157 businesses received legal, organizational and financial support for participation in international exhibitions, fairs, tenders, as well as the acquisition of international certificates, permits and customs clearance. It should be noted that the Fund also assisted 93 businesses in the preparation of export contracts, setting them on account of the authorized bodies, as well as in obtaining insurance policies for export contracts, – said Jahangir Mustafaev – executive director of the Fund for support of export of small business and private entrepreneurship under the NBU
In order to expand the scope and geography of exports of goods, the Fund conducted market research for the sale of goods produced in the country and the study of the most popular products abroad. As a result of this work mutually beneficial business contacts between domestic entrepreneurs and trading companies of Russia, Latvia, Kazakhstan and other countries were established. In addition, in order to study the foreign markets, the fund is actively participating in international exhibitions.
– The Fund participated in the international exhibition “Green Week 2015”, which took place from 16th to 25th January in Berlin (Germany) with the expositions of agricultural, textile and consumer goods of more than 50 domestic manufacturers exporting more than 100 types of products. In addition, during the period from 3 to 6 March the Fund in cooperation with the Japanese Organization JETRO organized the participation of domestic producers of food products in the international exhibition of Japanese «FoodEx Japan-2015, – noted Jahangir Mustafaev
It should be noted that the fund also holds meetings and roundtables with entrepreneurs and foreign partners. On February 19-20 this year, the Fund with the International Organization USAID conducted 2-day roundtable on the issues of export and logistics of fruit and vegetables from Uzbekistan in Ferghana region. As a results of the talks 21 agreements of intent totaling $121.1 million for the supply of fruit and vegetable products to the markets of Russia and Latvia were concluded.
– In order to familiarize with the potential of Uzbekistan in the fields of light and textile industry, the agricultural sector and the establishment of bilateral economic cooperation, on February 19 and March 2, business meetings between local entrepreneurs and the delegation of the Administration of the Tambov region, as well as the business delegation of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Russian Federation) were organized in Tashkent. According to their results, domestic entrepreneurs have established mutually beneficial business relations with Russian partners and concluded 8 agreements on export of agricultural products and products of the textile industry of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation totaling $42.2 million, – concluded Jahangir Mustafaev.
Hereby it is worth to note practical seminars, “round tables” on discussing the issues of additional stimulus, as well as involving the company-producers in export activities and expand their export sales of their own products, which are held in all parts of the country on a permanent basis. In particular, Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, Bukhara and Khorezm regions hosted meetings with 1,370 entrepreneurs and farmers on the export of their own products.
(Source: UzReport.uz)
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