October 3, 2007
Politics:
President received International Telecom Union Head
Economics:
Project on developing of cattle-farming in Uzbekistan
The less tax, the more profit
Credits offered to the real sector
Society:
Role of press services in communication between public sector and citizens
Conference on Peace, Non-Violence Takes Place In Uzbek Capital
International pancreotologists conference held in Tashkent
UWED Legal Clinic helps population to raise awareness in family legislation
POLITICS
PRESIDENT RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL TELECOM UNION HEAD
On September 28 this year at the Oksaroy Residence in Tashkent the President of Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received the Secretary-General of the International Union for Telecommunications Hamadun Tura, according to the agencies.
While welcoming the guest the Uzbek Leader said that Uzbekistan has been fruitfully cooperating with this organization on computerizing all spheres of social and economic life as well as introducing the latest information and communication technologies, the reports have said.
Uzbekistan accomplishes the considerable work on developing the infrastructure of telecommunications, digitalization of communication systems and raising their effectiveness, computerizing the economic and social areas, training the qualified cadres for the sphere.
The Tashkent University of Information Technologies and a number of professional lyceums and colleges have been established to train the cadres, raise their skills, put in place the international exchange of experience and master the cutting edge technologies.
The ICT week has been traditionally held in Uzbekistan for several years now. It includes holding of several events bound to further develop the sphere.
Hamadun Tura arrived in Uzbekistan to take part at the International summit on information communication technologies, which has completed the ICT week in Tashkent.
During the meeting at Oksaroy Residence Mr. Tura is reported to have underscored the progress of Uzbekistan in introducing the information communication technologies and computerization of society. He has also stressed the high organizational level of the ICT week and the efficiency of the summit held in town.
Mr. Ture thanked President for the warm welcome and noted that the International Union for Telecommunications will consistently develop the cooperation with Uzbekistan, according to the reports.
ECONOMICS
PROJECT ON DEVELOPING OF CATTLE-FARMING IN UZBEKISTAN
The Uzbek Ministry of Agricultural and Water Resources in cooperation with the UNDP Office in Uzbekistan has launched a new project on supporting the dynamic development of cattle-farming in the country, according to the newspaper Uzbekistan Today.
The project worth US$ 500 thousand of five-year term is promoted to support the Uzbek government’s efforts in the development of cattle-farming whose main entities are farming households and breeding enterprises and veterinary service of the Republic. The Ministry of Agricultural and Water Resources is the main executive agency of this project, representing the government of Uzbekistan.
The Director of UNDP Project on “Supporting rapid development of cattle-farming in Uzbekistan”, Abdurazak Khujabekov noted that “the basic factor of successful transition of cattle-farming to market conditions is careful analysis of situation today. For these purposes the project began to conduct socio-economic researches in cattle-farming of the country. They include analysis of legal and economic aspects of cattle-farming and estimation of conditions in forage producers and analysis of demand for meat and milk in the home and foreign markets”.
Supplying the country with high-quality cattle-farming produce is a priority operating the state policy for developing the country’s agricultural sector.
It becomes more realistic in conditions of periodic ictuses of animal and bird diseases in cattle-farming produce exporting countries, while such diseases pass Uzbekistan by due to integrated veterinarian activity and observation of sanitary standards.
The step-be-step implementation of measures of developing personal cattle and farming households, offering additional lands to people and systematic governmental support helps to increase the number of cattle in personal cattle and farming households and fill the home consumer market with cattle-farming produce. For instance, since the beginning of 2007 the production of meat in Uzbekistan has grown 6.2% compared with that of 2006, milk 5.8%, eggs 9.2% and astrakhan skins 12%.
This positive growth rate is observed basically due to the President Islam Karimov’s Resolution “On measures of stimulating the increase number of cattle in personal cattle and farming households” of March 23, 2006. The Program on stimulating the development of personal cattle and farming households in the period of 2006-2010, approved by President, states that the number of cattle will increase 1.4 times in this period.
The program implementation ensures such measures as expansion of network of veterinary and breeding stations, conducting auctions for selling cattle to farming and cattle households, offering micro-credits to cattle-farmers and construction of platforms for mixed fodder selling.
The process of offering soft credits by commercial banks for developing cattle-farms under guarantee of self-governance bodies, mahalla committees is considered to be an encouraging measure, and animal breeding enterprises and households are released from customs payments for breeding materials and technological and additional equipment, imported to the country for the development of animal breeding, till 2010.
THE LESS TAX, THE MORE PROFIT
Further development of Uzbekistan’s system of public finances that includes step-by step reduction and liberalization of tax burden is one of the priority tasks of the country’s government.
The phased policy for cutting tax burden allowed reducing profit tax from 31% to 10% in the period of 2000-2007, social payments from 40% to 24% and single tax for entities of small business to 10%. In addition, the rate of income tax of individuals has considerably fallen. In other words, in recent seven years total tax burden has fallen from 40% to 27%.
In last years the number of taxpayers has grown 2.5 times and tax inflows to the state budget 5 times. The development of entrepreneurship is of great importance in this process. In 2004 tax inflows made 82.3 billion soums in the trade sphere and the ratio has reached 457 billion soums within eight months this year.
The Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan with technical support of the UNDP has developed the draft new edition of Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It took into consideration public opinion and proposals of businessmen, international organizations, nongovernmental-nonprofit organizations and other interested bodies.
The new edition of Tax Code is a directly acting law that determines the system of tax and obligatory payments in whole. It also ensures regulations which are promoted to fight against discriminative and unequal approach to various scopes of activity and categories of taxpayers and measures are taken to cut tax burden by reducing particular tax rates and tax base. These measures allow the normative act to fulfill one of the most important functions of tax, stimulating and encouraging one. It is not all changes which have been reflected in the draft new edition of tax code.
This draft edition is suggested to nationwide discussion. The electronic version of Tax Code is offered in www.publicfinance.uz web site and a forum is functioning there as well. It is for discussing the draft Tax Code where one can express their notes directly and offer suggestions to the working group.
Tax legislation experts, accountants, auditors, entrepreneurs and other persons who are interested in establishing an adequate legislation meeting modern requirements are invited to active discussions. All suggestions are discussed and taken into consideration in the further development of the Tax Code. In the forum, experts of the Ministry of Finance are ready to answer any questions related to the new edition of the Tax Code.
CREDITS OFFERED TO THE REAL SECTOR
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has indicated the single rate of obligatory deposit reserves of commercial banks as 13% of total deposits.
The rate of obligatory deposit reserves used to be 15% in national currency and 8% in foreign currency.
The Uzbek Central Bank’s press-service noted that according to a decision of its executive board, foreign currency deposits must be counted in the national currency at the exchange rate of sale date. The obligatory reserves of each bank are monthly corrected correspondingly with its deposit base, established in this period.
“The reduction of obligatory deposit reserves will help to increase credit resources, directed to the real sector, and cut interest rate of credits of commercial banks”, stated the Central Bank’s press-service.
SOCIETY
ROLE OF PRESS SERVICES IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PUBLIC SECTOR AND CITIZENS
A seminar held on the initiative of the Committee for the Issues of Information and Communication Technology of the Lower Chamber of Parliament, was devoted to the topic of the role and importance of press services in development of communication between the public sector agencies and citizens, UzA reported. The Chairman of the Committee H. Dustmuhamedov presided at the meeting.
The members of the Senate of Oliy Majlis, deputies of the Legislative Chamber, heads of press services of ministries, agencies and departments, and the representatives of media participated in the seminar.
Among the topics discussed were the functions of press services in wide elucidation of the activity of public sector agencies in the conditions of transition from a strong state to a strong civil society, liberalization of all sectors of our lives, openness and freedom of information, as well as the development of public relations, existing problems and their solution.
Participants exchanged opinions on the issues concerning the legal frames for the provision of information to the public, the role of mass media in the development of the relations between the Legislative Chamber and general public, and the role of press services in the system of executive power.
CONFERENCE ON PEACE, NON-VIOLENCE TAKES PLACE IN UZBEK CAPITAL
On October 2, 2007 the Fund for Regional Politics along with the Embassy of India in Uzbekistan and the Academy for state and public construction of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan held the international seminar “Concept and philosophy of non-violence and its significance in the modern world”.
The representatives of embassies, consular offices and international organizations accredited in Uzbekistan, as well as the faculty members and attendees of the Academy, and the experts of the Fund for Regional Politics participated at the seminar.
The October 2, in keeping with the UN Resolution of June 15, 2007, starting this year will be marked as an International non-violence day. India has initiated the said Resolution and the date has been chosen not for nothing since October 2 is a Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
The idea of promoting the Resolution bases on the Declaration adopted at the International conference “Peace, non-violence and delegation the power – the philosophy of Gandhism in the 21st century” held in New Delhi in January this year.
The conference is reported to have formulated the concept of a general strife towards the struggle against the problems of starvation and poverty, as well as building the fair world in which the people could live in peace and harmony with one another.
The UN-backed Resolution appeals to all UN member-states, both regional and non-government organizations to mark this day and disseminate the message of non-violence through the education system and mass media. The Republic of Uzbekistan is among other 142 countries, which have supported the India-proposed Resolution.
INTERNATIONAL PANCREOTOLOGISTS CONFERENCE HELD IN TASHKENT
Pancreatology is a field of medicine that studies the function of the pancreas. As in many other fields of world medicine, this sphere too has achieved impressive results. These results are primarily in the diagnosis of the pancreas diseases at early stages, as well as their prevention, treatment and medical rehabilitation of the patients.
This was discussed during the international conference on the urgent issues in pancreatology held in the International Business Centre, UzA reported. The event was organized by the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Uzbekistan jointly with the Scientific Centre of Liver and Biliary Tracts Surgery and Tashkent Medical Academy. Among those who attended were scientists, doctors, and young researchers from Uzbekistan, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, UK, US, and Spain.
The Minister of Healthcare of Uzbekistan F. Nazirov spoke at the conference and specifically noted that the meeting coincided with the beginning of the implementation of the recently passed Presidential Decree "On the main directions for further intensification of reforms and implementation of the state Programme of Healthcare Development".
A special school of pancreatology has been created in Uzbekistan. Specialists who have studied at this school are now effectively working in the prestigious scientific institutions and clinics both in Uzbekistan and abroad. The Scientific Centre of Liver and Biliary Tracts Surgery created following the independence widely uses the most advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment of the pancreas diseases. Extensive experience in this field has been accumulated in the Republican Scientific Centre of Emergency Medical Aid and the Specialised Surgical Centre.
For the purpose of studying the causes of the pancreas diseases, and further improvement of their prevention, timely diagnosis and treatment, Uzbek scientists are closely cooperating with the leading foreign scientific centres. One of them is the National Scientific Research Centre of Healthcare of France.
"We are very glad about the results of cooperation with our Uzbek colleagues," said the Head of the Centre's Laboratory, Professor J. Lovanna (transliterated). "We share experience in the diagnosis of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, as well as conservative and surgical methods of their treatment. It should be noted that Uzbekistan has a big experience in the sphere of pacreatology. We intend to develop our scientific contacts in the future."
During the two-day international conference, participants shared opinions about the modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of pancreas diseases. Reports were delivered on the new medications, modern methods and means of diagnosis applied in Uzbekistan and in world practice.
UWED LEGAL CLINIC HELPS POPULATION TO RAISE AWARENESS IN FAMILY LEGISLATION
Clinicians of Legal Clinic under the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) organized a training in family law, specifically on such issues as divorce proceeding, and division of property, in Traktorsozlar makhallya of Mirzo-Ulugbek district, Tashkent city.
Students and legal experts of Legal Clinic carried out training on family law with focus to divorce issues, its basis and division of property. The training was directed to wide audience of different age people.
Legal Clinic decided to organize training on this topic based on appeals of residences of Traktorsozlar makhallya. The training should raise awareness of population on legislation related to divorce issues and court procedures, basis for divorce and division of property. About 20 representatives of Traktorsozlar makhallya attended this training.
The trainings are effective way to improve knowledge and skills of students-clinicians in this sphere of the law. Five students were attracted in preparation process of the training. The students prepared handouts on issues related to divorce and its consequences.
This training was organized within United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) project "Legal Aid and Legal Literacy for Better Access to Justice". The main objectives of the project are to improve access to justice for people, who cannot afford or have limited access to legal services, such as women, children, the poor, the elderly and people with disabilities and to increase quality of legal services through training of law students.