October 12, 2007
Politics:
Central Electoral Commission holds meeting
Economics:
Some 700 objects set for privatization
"Transport & Logistics 2007" exhibition opens in Uzbek capital
2D-seismic operations start under Aral project in Uzbekistan sector of sea
Russian TransContainer opens its representative office in Uzbekistan
Society:
President Resolves On Festively Marking Eid al-Fitr In Country
Conference on geology and development of feedstock held
Seminar on improvement of journalists' qualifications held
POLITICS
CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION HOLDS MEETING
The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a meeting on October 11. The Chairman of the CEC M. Abdusalomov presided at the meeting, the Uzbekistan National News Agency reported.
During the meeting, in accordance with the Article 15 of the Law "On elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan" members of the CEC decided on the formation and approval of the members of the district electoral commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
It was specifically noted that the candidatures of the members of district electoral commissions were selected from among the reputed public figures, discussed during the meetings of Jokargi Kenes (Supreme Council) of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional and Tashkent city Kengashs (Councils) of People's Deputies and recommended for approval to the Central Electoral Commission.
The Commission also discussed a number of other issues that concerned the preparation and conduct of the elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
ECONOMICS
SOME 700 OBJECTS SET FOR PRIVATIZATION
In the report of the President Islam Karimov delivered at the joint meeting of Oliy Majlis (parliament), the Cabinet of Ministers and the Apparatus of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, held on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of Independence, it was specifically noted that there is a need to intensify the process of privatization.
Over the years of independence the attitude of the population towards property has sharply changed. This is illustrated by the increased efficiency of production at private enterprises. For the purpose of producing competitive products, particular attention is being given to the technical and technological re-equipment. As a result of this, the quality of products manufactured rises, which, in turn, creates a solid base for the annual growth in exports.
Consistent development of the process of privatization in the country evokes great interest not only among local entrepreneurs, but also among foreign investors. This allows attracting high volumes of investments, which contribute to the maintenance of macroeconomic and political stability, the satisfaction of the population's needs and increase of its income.
A source at the press service of the State Property Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan told UzA that today the non-governmental (private) sector made up about 80% of industrial production, 88.4% of the construction sphere, 96.6% of the communication industry, 99.9% of the agricultural industry, and almost 100% of trade. As a result the share of private sector in the GDP amounts to nearly 75%.
The Resolution of the President of the country dated 20 July 2007 "On measures to further intensify the processes of privatization and active attraction of foreign investments in 2007-2010" has provided a new impulse to the consistent intensification of the privatization, increase in the scale of the measures being taken in this direction. Thus, the document pays particular attention to the sharp reduction in the stake of the state in the shareholding capitals of enterprises in the strategically important industries, and increase in the role of private property in the development of the country's economy.
Based on this resolution a new programme of privatization consisting of three stages was developed and passed. According to the programme, it was planned to privatise 1,432 enterprises and keep the state's share only in 45 companies by 2011. According to these papers, work has already been started on privatization of some 700 state objects.
Among them are large enterprises, such as UzDAEWOOauto joint-stock company, SamAuto limited liability company, and Kungrad Soda Plant. Also, among the objects set for sale are Uzbektelecom shareholding company, Asaka State Joint-Stock Commercial Bank, Tashkent Aircraft Production Association named after V.P. Chkalov State Shareholding Company, and a number of other production objects.
First steps have been taken towards the privatization of chemical enterprises, such as Ammofos, Samarkand Chemical Plant, NavoiAzot, FerghanaAzot, Kokand Phosphate Factory, Photon Plant, Algorithm, Onix, as well as motor and aggregate plants. Among others are the enterprises of the edible oil production industry, oil and gas, and energy sectors.
At this stage of privatization, the factor of the execution of the investment obligations taken by the investors in time is growing in importance. The investors are obliged to modernize the productions at enterprises, in which they have invested their funds, re-equip them technically and technologically, and set up the production of competitive, export-oriented goods. Unless these obligations are performed within the time-period allowed, the acquisition contracts are annulled in accordance with the established order.
State Property Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan attributes great attention not only to the timely provision of the necessary information on the objects being privatized to potential investors, it also explains all the terms of the deal to them.
"TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS 2007" EXHIBITION OPENS IN UZBEK CAPITAL
4th International specialized exhibition "Transport & Logistics 2007" opened at UzExpoCentre in Tashkent on October 10.
The exhibition is organized by ITE Uzbekistan international exhibition company and its partner ITE Exhibitions & Conferences Ltd. with support of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Airways national airline and Tashkent city administration.
Transport and logistics along with communication and telecommunication systems form a circulatory system of modern economy. They are especially important for Uzbekistan, having favourable geographic location at the crossroads of the most important transport corridors.
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov set a task to use maximum the geographic location of the country with the purpose of progressive socio-economic development. To solve this task it is necessary to develop transport infrastructure, ensure regular growth of passenger and cargo circulation, as well as rendering concomitant services.
The TransUzbekistan 2007 exposition is presented by the following sections: road transport, railway transport, sea and river transport, combined shipments, logistics and forwarding, courier services, cargo transport equipment, ports, terminals, information servicing.
The exhibition is aimed to present investment projects, all types of modern transport systems and equipment, cargo and passenger transportation services, reserves management, information and servicing systems for transport.
Some 20 companies from Uzbekistan, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Iran and other countries have displayed their products and services at the exhibition.
2D-SEISMIC OPERATIONS START UNDER ARAL PROJECT IN UZBEKISTAN SECTOR OF SEA
2D-seismic operations have started in the Uzbekistan sector of the Aral Sea within the framework of implementation of the Aral project PSA, according to Uzreport.com Business Information portal.
The PSA was signed in Tashkent on August 30, 2006 by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the consortium of investors comprising National holding company Uzbekneftegaz, CNPC International (China), Korea National Oil Corporation (Korea), LUKOIL Overseas (Russia) and Petronas Carigali Overseas (Malaysia).
In accordance with the commitments of the investors 2,300 line kilometers of 2D-seismic will be acquired in 2007-2008. PetroAlliance was selected as the contractor after the tender held by Aral Sea Operating Company, established by the investors and registered in Uzbekistan.
Seismic operations will cover the aquatic area of Uzbekistan sector of the Aral Sea, the transit and the terrestrial zones. Base camps for marine and onshore seismic crews have been set up; the seismic equipment has been mobilized, tested and tuned.
To date the specialized inspection under the State Committee for Nature of Uzbekistan has completed the environmental audit of the contract area. Seismic quality control contractor (Russian company IrtyshGeophysics) has been selected on a tender basis. Tenders are being held to select contractors to carry out environmental monitoring of seismic operations and design and survey work to build a motor road to the Vozrozhdenya Peninsula.
Besides the seismic, the first stage of the exploration works under the Aral project includes the drilling of two exploration wells. Minimal financial commitment of this stage is approximately US$100 million; the duration of the stage is three years. A feasibility study based on the obtained results will be drafted and approved with the subsequent adjustment of the commercial terms of the PSA. The exploration operations of the second stage will be carried out after that.
RUSSIAN TRANSCONTAINER OPENS ITS REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN UZBEKISTAN
Official opening of a representative office of Russian national container operator TransContainer in Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent on October 10 within the 4th Uzbek international automobile exhibition "AutoMotorShow Uzbekistan 2007", Uzreport.com Business Information portal reported.
"The new office will promote growth of cargo turnover between the two countries and carry out systematic marketing work on attraction of cargos to foreign trade railway routes passing through Russia and Uzbekistan," said Pyotr Baskakov, Director General of TransContainer open joint-stock company.
"Later on the basis of this representative office the company is planning to open Centre of Client Service to provide Uzbek businesses with a wide range of services on cargo transportation in containers. And, of course, the representative office will help open new container routes," he added.
TransContainer is the largest container operator in Russia. Today the company employs over 5,000 people. It has 47 terminals in all cargo circulating centres of Russia, while its 17 branch offices cover the whole network of Russian railways. Besides, TransContainer is the largest owner of specialized trains' depot in Russia, CIS and Baltic states, as it has more than 24,000 fitting platforms and some 53,000 large-capacity containers.
TransContainer's priority activity is focused on the development of own international agent's network due to effective interaction with railways of Europe and Asia, as well as partner organizations. The company so far has opened offices in Germany, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, China and Uzbekistan. Its agents are working in China, Japan and South Korea. TransContainer has established a joint venture in Finland – ContainerTrans Scandinavia.
SOCIETY
PRESIDENT RESOLVES ON FESTIVELY MARKING EID AL-FITR IN COUNTRY
On October 10 this year the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed the Resolution “On celebrating the Ramadan Hayit” (‘Eid-al-Fitr’), the local newspapers reported.
“Taking into consideration the proposal of the Muslim’s Board of Uzbekistan that the first day of Eid al-Fitr coincides with October 13, 2007, this day shall be broadly commemorated as a holiday in the country,” – the text of the Resolution has read.
Besides, the document envisages that the Republican Fund “Nuroniy”, “Mahalla”, the Youth social movement “Kamolot” and other agencies and public organizations in an organized manner and at high level in line with national values of our people shall undertake the necessary events vis-a-vis the commemoration of the Eid al-Fitr at local levels”.
“The National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan National News Agency and other mass media outlets shall be recommended to broadly cover the events related to marking the Eid al-Fitr,” – the text of the Resolution has further read.
CONFERENCE ON GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF FEEDSTOCK HELD
A scientific conference on the issues of geology and development of feedstock opened Wednesday at the Institute of Mineral Resources of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources, UzA reported.
The event organized by the National Committee of Geologists of Uzbekistan and the Navoi and Almalyk Mining and Smelting Complexes is attended by the leading scientists of the country, as well as specialists from Russia, Kazakhstan, UK, Germany, Austria, and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking at the conference, the Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources N. Mavlonov, Chief Production Engineer at Navoi Mining and Smelting Complex S. Rudnev and others stressed the fact that the government is paying great attention to rational utilization of natural resource, their exploration, and increasing the scale of scientific studies. Thanks to this, the number and diversity of surveyed deposits of natural resources is increasing. The country currently has about 1,500 mines of 72 different types of natural resources.
Consistent measures are being taken in Uzbekistan to create and expand the mineral-resource base of the enterprises of the production, processing and construction industries. The resolution of the President dated 17 January 2007 "On measures to sharply improve the organization of geological surveying works and the activity of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources" is an important factor in further improvement of the efficiency of works in this direction.
"Great attention is being paid in the country to the identification of prospective territories, evaluation of their geological potential, development and integration of modern methods and technologies of geological surveying works," said the Director of the Institute of Mineral Resources of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources Bahtiyor Isohojaev.
"Today, the development of the mineral feedstock for industrial purposes, the research and exploration of deposit fields, the discovery of deposits and integration of modern technology in the geological surveying works are being given priority importance in the country. This, in turn, has an even stronger effect on science and the specialists of the sphere. That is why this conference is of particular importance to the exploration of the areas of research, discoveries and findings of scientists not only of our country, but also foreign experts," he said.
During the two-day conference, a number of reports will be delivered on the studies of the situation in the sphere of geology and mineral resources not only of the particular case of Uzbekistan, but also the world as a whole.
Participants will share their opinions on the achievements and solutions of the existing problems. Also, detailed analysis will be carried out on the issues of development of prospective plans, their sequential implementation, further strengthening of cooperation with the leading foreign scientific-research institutions.
SEMINAR ON IMPROVEMENT OF JOURNALISTS' QUALIFICATIONS HELD
Public Fund for Support and Development of Independent Media and Information Agencies of Uzbekistan together with the Jamiyat Newspaper Editorial conducted a seminar on "Improvement of the qualification of journalists and preparation of young journalists: achievements, problems, prospects" on October 9.
Among the issues raised during the seminar were the strengthening of the staff potential of print media, reforms being implemented in the sphere of improvement of the qualifications of journalists and preparation of young journalists, as well as achievements made in this direction, the problems and methods of their solution.
As a part of its activity, the Public Fund for Support and Development of Independent Press and Information Agencies of Uzbekistan, pays great attention to the strengthening of staff potential of news agencies, preparation of young beginner journalists. Today, the Centre for Improvement of Journalists' Skills operate with the support of the Fund in the cities of Andijan, Samarkand, Karshi, and Nukus.
Particular attention is being given to the organization of master classes for students of journalism faculties in the editorials of the leading newspapers and news agencies of the country. Certificates for the organization of five such master-classes have been issued to the editorials of Marifat – The Teacher of Uzbekistan, Jamiyat, Biznes-vestnik Vostoka, Uzbekistan Today, and Turkiston Press.
During the seminar presentations of several master classes were made. Information was presented on the project, aims and objectives of master classes, the programme of training and practical exercises, and conditions created for the students.
The members of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, representatives of state and public organizations, heads of leading press agencies, representatives of media, teachers and professors of the National University of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek State University of World Languages, and their students participated in the meeting.