April 21, 2015
Congratulatory letters to Islam Karimov on his election as President of the Republic of Uzbekistan 2
‘Jizzakh’ Special Industrial Zone.. 2
When ‘Three’ Means Excellence. 2
In the first quarter of 2015 “Uzbekenergo” has supplied 11.9 billion kWh of electrical energy. 3
Uzbekistan to continue to operate railways in Afghanistan. 4
SENAT of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan.. 4
Second plenary session of Senate to be held in May. 4
Legislative chamber of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan.. 4
Towards strengthening legal mechanisms of reforms. 4
POLICY
Congratulatory letters to Islam Karimov on his election as President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Letters with sincere congratulations and warm wishes to Islam Karimov on his election as President of the Republic of Uzbekistan during the vote that took place on 29 March 2015 have been continuing to come from heads of state and government, chiefs of international organizations and notable public figures of foreign nations.
Congratulatory letters have come from:
Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan
Abdullah Ensour, The Prime Minister and Defense Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain
Janos Ader, President of Hungary
Rosen Plevneliev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Olivier Michalon, Head of the company “Airbus Helikopters” for Europe
Eni Faleomavaega, Former Congressman, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, Asia Pacific and the Global Environment Protection of the Committee on Foreign Affirs of the House of Representatives of USA
Luigi Iperti, President of the Joint Chamber of Commerce “Italy-Uzbekistan”
Tiberio Graziani, President of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Geopolitics and Auxiliary Sciences
Charles Beauduin, Chief Executive Officer of “Van de Wiele” Company
Congratulatory letters continue to arrive.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
‘Jizzakh’ Special Industrial Zone
When ‘Three’ Means Excellence
Uzbekistan has been developing a unique economic model of public-private partnerships – a zone of advanced development, where investors get special tax and customs terms. Uzbekistan fully provides all relevant communications and transport infrastructure. That is why such zones have been invariably popular among domestic and foreign investors that have set up new manufactures there.
Last week the industrial map of Uzbekistan welcomed three cutting-edge enterprises that were launched in the Jizzakh Special Industrial Zone (SIZ). It stands to reason that they specialize in producing components for the automotive industry, as well as construction, plastic and metal items. These industries have been dynamically developing in Uzbekistan as it has been pursuing import substitution and localization.
The Uzbek-Chinese joint venture Auto Rad Systems will manufacture brake pads for all types of road and rail transport. It has created 45 jobs. The company’s relevance cannot be overestimated. First, Uzbekistan is set to launch the production that would replace imported counterparts and help save foreign currency. Secondly, it is the quality of brake pads that car and locomotive safety largely depends on.
The second joint venture, Master Screw Systems, will produce metalware, metal patterns and accessories for installation of plasterboards. Chinese partners installed and equipped the production line. The total project’s cost exceeded $4 million. According to estimates, the enterprise might replace foreign counterparts in the shortest possible terms owing to better quality and affordable prices.
“We have developed a strategic development plan. Unfortunately, presently Uzbekistan does not have the resources we need, so we have to import them from China. We have been working in this direction, so in the near future we hope to buy raw materials domestically, and, therefore, significantly reduce production costs,” said Abdulahat Kodirov, head of the company. “The enterprise is operated by 64 machines, and the bulk of employees – 70 people – are graduates of vocational colleges.”
In the coming years, Master Screw Systems intends to take a leading position in the local market, and then move to exporting to neighboring countries and Russia.
Master Building Products, another joint venture, is planning to establish an annual production of 400,000 meters of polypropylene pipes for hot and cold water, 200,000 meters of floor heating pipes, as well as 5.5 million fittings, valves and accessories for installation of pipes. Experts estimate its products as promising as in the next few years Uzbekistan is planning to implement hundreds of projects on urban and rural reconstruction and their shift to the new heating and sewage systems with the use of polypropylene pipes. It is important that the republic has no problems with the raw materials produced by Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex and a range of other advanced manufactures.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
ENERGETICS
In the first quarter of 2015 “Uzbekenergo” has supplied 11.9 billion kWh of electrical energy
The SJSC “Uzbekenergo” has summed up the work results for the first quarter of 2015. According to the information, during the period under review, the company ensured the stable operation of the unified power system, steady growth of energy production, the execution of measures of forecast parameters and targeted programs for socio-economic development.
As the press service of the company reported, following the results of the I quarter of 2015, production costs reduced by 101.4%. The growth rate of the production made 103%. The volume of delivered electrical energy made 11.9 billion kWh, forecasted figures for the export of products and services amounted to 100.6%.
In accordance with the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On investment program of Uzbekistan for 2015″ the implementation of 26 major investment projects, including in the current year the input of 8 energy facilities are provided.
Through a complex of activities aimed at expansion and promotion of the use of alternative energy sources in the current year it is planned to realized 22 projects on the implementation of solar collectors for hot water (15 projects), photovoltaic array (6 projects) and a biogas plant (1 project).
For the first quarter of 2015, the company created 493 new jobs, of which 8 jobs are home-based. At that the company carried out training and retraining for 5507 workers and specialists.
Pursuant to the presidential decree dated February 18, 2015 “On the State program of the Year of Care for the Senior Generation”, the company has developed a branch program with forecast costs at 4.1 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 21.04.2015 1$= 2507.40 soums).
(Source: UzReport.uz)
International cooperation
Uzbekistan to continue to operate railways in Afghanistan
Uzbekiston Temir Yollari (Uzbekistan Railways) will continue to operate and maintain railway from Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif in next three years, the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers from 14 April 2015 said.
The resolution said that O‘zbektemiryo‘lekspeditsia of Uzbekiston Temir Yollari (operator) and Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan operated and maintained railway Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif in line with the contract, signed on 27 July 2011. The operator transported over 7.8 million tonnes of cargo.
The operator and Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan agreed new contract on further operation and maintenance of railway Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif for three more years, the resolution said.
According to agreed contract, the operator will receive US$19 million each year, independently from the volume of transported freight. The sum includes taxes, payments and duties, paid by the operator to Afghanistan.
The transportation fee will be upfront and accumulated at the banking account in the authorized bank and each month directed to Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan, opened at the commercial bank in Afghanistan.
As reported earlier, Uzbekistan Temir Yollari completed construction of Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railroad in the end of 2010 with the cost of US$129 million.
The Uzbek company constructed 75 km railroad and several stations, as well as reconstructed Hairatan station within the project.
The project was financed due to US$165 million grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and US$5 million of own funds of the Afghanistan Government.
(Source: UzDaily.com )
SENAT of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan
Second plenary session of Senate to be held in May
The second plenary session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan will be held in Tashkent on 15 May 2015.
Council of the upper house of the Uzbek parliament adopted a resolution on convocation of the second plenary session of the Senate in Tashkent on 15 May 2015.
During the plenary session, Senators will consider laws “On mandatory insurance of civil liability of transports”, “On securities” (new edition), “On electronic commerce” (new edition), and others, directed at further improving social-economic reforms, investment climate and business environment, developing entrepreneurship and judicial-legal sphere, information security.
The Senate will also consider several laws on ratification of international agreements, reports of Ombudsperson, State Nature protection committee for 2014.
The plenary session of the Senate will discuss other issues of its jurisdiction.
(Source: UzDaily.com )
Legislative chamber of Oliy Majlis of republic of Uzbekistan
Towards strengthening legal mechanisms of reforms
On April 17, the regular meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan was held.
Deputies considered a number of draft laws aimed at deepening reforms in various spheres of public life of the country. Earlier meetings of factions of political parties and the deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan were held, during which issues on the agenda of the meeting of the lower house were tentatively discussed. According to the results of a thorough discussion of draft laws, proposals and recommendations for their improvement were developed.
On the second reading, deputies began their work with a full discussion of the draft law on introducing amendments to the laws “On the mass media”, “On microcredit organizations”, “On Conformity Assessment”, “On Competition”. This document is aimed at further improving the investment climate and business environment, elimination of barriers to entrepreneurial activity.
After that, deputies discussed the draft law “On veterinary” in new edition. The adoption of this draft law, introduced in the legislative initiative by the Cabinet of Ministers, will become an important factor of further development of veterinary service, ensuring veterinary welfare in the country, protection of population and animals from diseases, solving veterinary-sanitary issues of environmental protection, that have been emphasized by deputies.
During the discussion of issues of the agenda, representatives of factions of political parties and the deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan made presentations.
– This document was extensively discussed by members of our faction and we support the proposal on adopting it in the first reading. Based on the pre-election program of our party, the responsible committee was given some recommendations aimed at further improving the norms of the draft law relating to strengthening the role of private sector – said member of the faction of the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen –Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Sh. Sharafutdinov. – This document is important in implementation of tasks based on comprehensive support of enterprise development, farming and dehkan enterprises, formation of real class of owners in rural areas in terms of further diversification and development of agriculture. Especially binding norms on further expansion of private veterinary services and clarify their rights are consistent with the goals and objectives of the party.
– Members of our faction emphasized the need for legal consolidation of mechanisms aimed at further strengthening food security, increasing production of safe food, – said member of the faction of Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Milliy Tiklanish” Sh. Rakhimov. – Inclusion in the draft law of the norm regarding participation of civil society institutions, NGOs and citizens in solving problems related to veterinary, is consistent with our pre-election program.
– On the part of our faction, the responsible for this draft law – Committee on Agriculture and Water Management Issues was given a number of proposals on re-examination of some of its norms. They correspond to the pre-election program of our party and interests of the electorate, our focus will be on issues of their reflection in the draft law – said the representative of the faction of People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan A. Tumishova. – It should be noted that the issue of saturation of the domestic market with qualitative domestic food production is considered to be one of the priorities of the pre-election program of PDP of Uzbekistan.
– Members of our faction noted the need to ensure a stable and fundamental barrier to infectious diseases spread by animals imported into the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan from other countries, and protection against them. In addition, it is envisaged to develop norms related to food security of epizootic stability, veterinary and sanitary rules depending on the type of animal, – said member of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” R. Matkurbonov. – In addition, introduction to the draft law of new articles relating to measures of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of veterinary diseases, conduction of laboratory studies, requirements for the usage of veterinary medicines and dietary supplements, the rules of production under the state veterinary supervision coincide with the interests of our electorate.
– On the new draft law, we paid main attention to the problem of solving veterinary and sanitary issues of environmental and wildlife protection, defining rules of control over the destruction and disposal of animals affected by infectious diseases, biological waste, as well as their burial places, – said representative of the deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan I. Khushvaktov. – However, the draft law provides for measures of protecting population from diseases that are common for humans and animals, ensuring quality and safety of food, relating to the animal world. This will ensure environmental sustainability.
After a comprehensive discussion, the main provisions of the draft law were approved and deputies adopted it in the first reading. The responsible committee was entrusted to prepare the document for the next reading, taking into account the received proposals.
(Source: Information Service of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan )
art
Time in Pictures
More than 250 works – genre compositions, landscapes, portraits, still lives, etudes – are on display these days at the Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan at a retrospective exhibition from the series “Our Heritage”.
Works by painters from the collection of the Directorate of art exhibitions enrapture spectators for decades. Among the authors of the works are Pavel Benkov, Zoya Kovalevskaya, Nikolay Karakhan, Nadezhda Kashina, Ural Tansykbayev, Rakhim Akhmedov, Ruzy Choriyev, Vladimir Burmakin and many other prominent painters.
The viewers got acquainted with travelling works, which represented the art of the country in many, including foreign exhibitions. In the years since independence, more than 154,500 exhibits have gone on view in the halls of the country and the world.
“The shaping of the collection started with a dozen of graphic works handed over by the State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan,” says deputy-director of the Directorate of art exhibits Lyudmila Kadzayeva. “Today, there are more than 15,000 exhibits of modern fine arts and folk-decorative art in our collection. More than 2,000 works from our fund have replenished the collections of museums and galleries of Uzbekistan and other countries. The collected works are the landmarks in the history of development and popularization of the Uzbek fine arts. The canvases keep delighting the Uzbekistanis, while for the young talent they serve an example of unsurpassed skill.”
“The preserved works are beautiful, they demonstrate the national school, which needs thorough study,” says sculptor Azamat Hatamov. “The works by a pleiad of masters of the recent past and contemporary authors manifest that the fine arts culture of Uzbekistan stands at a very high level.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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