November 9, 2007

Politics:
Voter Init. Group Decides On Nominee To Run For Presidency
Economics:
Uzbek leader signed resolution to boost financial sector
Improvement of financial mechanism of social protection discussed
PRC Eximbank lends US$41.7m for construction of Dehkanabad potassium fertilizers factory
Half A Million Jobs Created In Nation – Uzbek Ministry of Labor
Society:
Establishing a drought management centre in Central Asia
«Earth and people» by Ruzi Choriyev

POLIITICS

VOTER INIT. GROUP DECIDES ON NOMINEE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY

In line with the Law “On elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” the higher bodies of political parties, the assembly of the voter initiative groups nominate the candidatures for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

On November 8 this year the voter initiative group on nominating the candidature for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan held its assembly in Tashkent with participation of members of the voter initiative group from the Republic of Karakalpakstan, provinces and the city of Tashkent, the report by Uzbekistan National News Agency Russian-language website has said.

The delegates to the assembly are reported to have underscored that the forthcoming December 23 presidential elections in Uzbekistan will become the most important event in the political and public life of the country and will have a profound significance to intensify the ongoing democratic reforms in the country.

The assembly has decided to nominate for the post of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan the chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee of Oliy Majlis on democratic institutions, non-state organizations and citizen self-governance bodies Akmal Saidov, the report has said.

The participants of the assembly are also reported to have discussed the main provisions of the pre-election platform of the presidential nominee from the voter initiative group.

ECONOMY

UZBEK LEADER SIGNED RESOLUTION TO BOOST FINANCIAL SECTOR

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a resolution on November 7 to raise minimal requirement of the charter capital of the banks from 2008.

The resolution "On measures on further development of banking system and attraction of free funds to banking turnover" said it was adopted to further reformation and liberalization of banking system, increase competitiveness, financial sustainability, decrease off-banking turnover, etc.

The document said the assets and aggregate capital of the commercial banks increased by 7.6 and 7.4 times respectively compared to 2000. The volume of deposits grew by 38 times and credit investments of the commercial banks to real sector of economy by five times in the reporting period.

The resolution adopted programme on further reformation and development of banking system of Uzbekistan in 2007-2010 and the complex measures on further attraction of free funds to banking turnover and ensure growth of cashless money turnover.

The document approved proposal of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and commercial banks to set new minimal size of the commercial banks' authorized capital from 1 January 2008. The resolution said the minimal size of the commercial banks will be set at the volume of 5 million euros in soum equivalent. The charter capital of the private banks will be set at 2.5 million euros in soum equivalent.

The commercial banks, holding license to carry out banking activities, can work in securities market as investment intermediate, investment assets manager and investment consultant, the document said. It added the banks will not need to obtain additional licenses to be involved in the securities market.

The Central Bank, commercial banks, credit unions, micro credit organizations and insurance companies were entrusted in a month-term to expand number of their branches in regions and attract funds of businesses and individuals to deposits and issue of credits to businesses, farmers and population.

The Uzbek President Islam Karimov provided three-year income tax holidays to legal entities to income received from investment to deposits and long-term securities of the commercial banks from 1 January 2008.

IMPROVEMENT OF FINANCIAL MECHANISM OF SOCIAL PROTECTION DISCUSSED

A seminar on "Improvement of legal norms aimed at further improvement of the financial mechanism of guaranteeing social protection" was held on November 7.

The meeting was organised by the Senate Committee for Budget and Economic Reforms jointly with the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population and the State Commercial People's Bank of Uzbekistan.

During the seminar it was noted that from the first days of independence special attention has been given to social protection of the most vulnerable and needy groups of population: pensioners, people with disabilities, single seniors, and needy families. With this purpose in mind a number of legislative acts were adopted, UzA reported.

The Laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On social protection of people with disabilities in Uzbekistan", "On state pension support of citizens", "On labour protection", "On population employment", "On charity", ad a whole series of decrees and resolutions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers constitute the legal framework for social protection.

An important step in this direction was the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan dated 19 March 2007 "On measures to further improve and strengthen the system of social protection of the population." According to this resolution it was defined that the assignment and payment of allowances to needy families with children, to unemployed mothers with children under the age of two, is to be done by the citizens' self-government bodies in strict compliance with the principles of social justice, objectivity and transparency, and provision of aid to those who really need one.

Over 350 billion soums are envisaged in the State Budget of Uzbekistan for 2007 for the payment of social allowances to families with children aged under 16, unemployed mothers carrying after young children, families needing social protection, etc.

Seminar participants discussed the importance of the intensification of reforms in the sphere of social protection of the population in the country, and raising the role of citizens' self-government bodies in the social protection of the population and financial support of needy families.

They also discussed the measures to improve the financial mechanism to guarantee social protection, as well as the shortcomings and complexities arising in the process of implementation of these measures. They noted the reasonableness of introduction of changes and additions to the legislation to further improve the financial mechanism of provision of social protection to the population.

Among the participants were senators, representatives of the Central Bank, the Ministries of Finance, and Labour and Social Protection of the Population, People's Bank, Mahalla (community) Foundation, Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, Kamolot Youth Movement, scientific institution, public associations, and media.

PRC EXIMBANK LENDS US$41.7M FOR CONSTRUCTION OF DEHKANABAD POTASSIUM FERTILIZERS FACTORY

Within the frame of the official visit to Uzbekistan, the Head of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Eximbank signed an Individual Loan Agreement with UzPromStroyBank (Uzbek Industrial Construction Bank) for the financing of the "Construction of Dehkanabad Plant of Potassium Fertilizers on the basis of the Tyubegata Potassium Mineral Deposit", Uzreport.com Business Information portal reported.

The project on the construction of Dehkanabad Plant of Potassium Fertilizers was launched pursuant to the Presidential Resolution No. 632 of 1 May 2007 "On measures to organize the construction of Dehkanabad Plant of Potassium Fertilizers on the base of Tyubegata potassium mineral deposit".

According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan No. 338 dated 19 of July 2004 "On measures to further develop cooperation with the People's Republic of China", this project is included in the list of projects intended for implementation through the financing of the PRC's Government – a soft credit line from the SCO member state.

This project was included in the Investment Programme of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2007, namely the address programme of investment projects being implemented with the financing of the Reconstruction and Development Fund.

Of the total capital investments of US$123.7 million the Chinese party's contribution makes up US$41.7 million.

The turn-key construction of the processing complex will be implemented by the CITIK Company for International Cooperation.

The loan was issued under the guarantee of the Government of Uzbekistan at the interest rate of 2%. The funds are being lent for 20 years including 5-year no-interest period.

HALF A MILLION JOBS CREATED IN NATION – UZBEK MINISTRY OF LABOR

“Announcement of 2007 as the Year of Social Protection is a major factor in further expanding the scale of work in addressing the employment, creating jobs for the youth and women, developing the cooperation of companies and the sphere of services with home-based workers,” – the spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Uzbekistan Ravshan Ibragimov has said, “nearly UZS 100 billion has been allocated to implement such measures”.

According to the regional job creation programs for over the past period this year about 500,000 new jobs were created in Uzbekistan. 77,1% of them accounts for small businesses and private entrepreneurship. The bulk of the new jobs were established in the Ferghana, Kashkadarya, Samarkand and Surkhandarya provinces – the areas known for the high density of population, the report by Uzbekistan National News Agency Russian-language website has said.

The special attention paid in Uzbekistan to the further development of services promotes the increase of a number of employees engaged in the sphere. Creation of 172,000 jobs this year in the said sphere vividly testifies to the aforesaid. For the support of this field more than 3,000 entities engaged in servicing the population gained the microcredits worth nearly UZS 4,5 billion.

The profound work is also underway to further expand cooperation based on the home labor. In this direction 81,700 new jobs were created based on the job contracted. A number of large enterprises efficiently use such method of operations. For example, the special department has been established at the Asaka-based car making plant UzDaewooAuto on extending the home labor. The department coordinates the work of packagers, manufacturers of tin products and component parts, and other.

Besides, the consistent work is being continued in the country to implement the presidential Decree “On additional measures to materially and morally support the young families” of May 18, 2007. Thus, the special attention is now accorded to strengthening the support of newly established families, rendering the necessary assistance in establishing the sources of income and bettering the household conditions of stay. By now the young families throughout the nation have obtained UZS 36,2 billion-worth of mortgage and consumer credits.

The State program of the “Year of Social Protection” sets the social protection of families with limited means as one of the main objectives to be addressed. In this context, UZS 216,1 billion-worth of budget funds have been channeled to the socially vulnerable families. Besides, the large families and those with limited means received 48,300 cattle.

Last year Uzbekistan allocated UZS 20,5 billion to protect the children left without parental care and guidance, strengthen their health, and establish for them the normal conditions of life.

The handicapped persons received more than 2,500 disability wheelchairs, over 1,000 hearing devices and nearly 5,000 prosthetic and movement devices. The lone elderly, orphans, families with limited means and persons, who stay at the “Sakhovat” and “Muruvvat” charity houses, received humanitarian aid worth about UZS 4 billion.

SOCIETY

ESTABLISHING A DROUGHT MANAGEMENT CENTRE IN CENTRAL ASIA

All five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - have landscapes marked by vast desert and semi-desert plains, piedmont plains and oases of irrigated soils, which are affected by desertification and drought, according to the Uzreport.com Business Information Portal.

The establishment of a Drought Management Centre will help improve drought preparedness, monitoring and management, in particular by bringing together stakeholders to work out national as well as sub-regional drought strategies.

It is also expected that the Centre will contribute to environmental security by providing a better network at the national level and among Central Asian countries, while supplying necessary information to decision-makers.

The OSCE, in co-operation with the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is organizing a technical workshop in Tashkent on 20 and 21 November to identify the needs, expectations and objectives of a possible establishment of a Drought Management Centre in Central Asia.

The technical workshop will be the first of two meetings to formulate the terms of reference for a proposed regional Centre. A second meeting will provide a political platform to discuss further steps to be taken.

Following discussions at the 15th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum held in Vienna and Prague earlier this year, the OSCE and the UNCCD decided to enhance their co-operation in addressing the important regional challenge drought poses in Central Asia.

The theme of this year's Forum, chosen by the Spanish Chairmanship of the Organization, was land degradation, soil contamination and water management.

«EARTH AND PEOPLE» BY RUZI CHORIYEV

The Center of National Arts of the “Forum of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan” Foundation is a venue for a personal exhibition of a legendary artist Ruzi Choriyev, entitled “Earth and people of Uzbekistan”.

Leading artists, artisans, poets, historians, other guests and admirers of the artist’s talent took part at the opening day of the exhibition.

More than 60 paintings and graphics belong to different periods of the artist’s creative life are displayed in the exposition. All works are provided by family of Ruzi Choriyev and by private collections. Some of canvases are displayed for the first time.

The exhibition helps to interpret the creativity of the artist in a new way, helps to feel character of the artist’s creative searches, and his constant interest in images of people and nature.

The basic theme of the exhibition is a Man with his not passing values of existence. People admire by ability of the artist to find a beauty in homeliness, and sublimating it in his portraits and landscapes.

“The exhibition is organized in memory of Ruzi Choriyev, which we called “Earth and people of Uzbekistan”. It may seems a hackneyed title, but the master reflected in his works both people and earth of Uzbekistan in full measure. The graduate of the Benkov Specialized School and the Academy of Art in Saint-Petersburg (Russia), Ruzi Choriyev had made a great contribution to culture and art of Uzbekistan during his life. Portrait, landscape, still life and canvases on historical theme took the main place in his creative life” said Ph. D. Elmira Akhmedova, Director of the Center of National Arts.

Ruzi Choriyev is a well-known and acknowledged artist, conferred on numbers of prestigious native and foreign awards and titles. Striking combination of universality and strength of the artist’s talent and emotional impulse are the features inhere in Ruzi Choriyev, the Academician, Honoured Art worker of Uzbekistan, and People’s Artist of the Republic.

As the artist Mukhammad Fazili said, for today there is no any artist not only in Uzbekistan who does not know Ruzi Choriyev and does not familiarize himself with this master’s works. He is truly People’s artist, because the notion of the words people’s artist means recognition by the nation. Indeed, Ruzi Choriyev was recognized by people. He returned this love by his works. “Choriyev was a frank and free artist, as a real artist should be. His canvases are full of light and kindness. The master painted an earth and people as he felt them. He was one of such kind of people who express their feelings in paintings. Ruzi Choriyev taught his apprentices to a free-thinking, which is very important for artists”, shared Mukhammad Fazili with a correspondent of UT.

Images of ordinary people, students, women, workers, contemporaries and many others were mostly depicted in works of the artists. Portraits of well-known people of science and culture of Uzbekistan are among them. Majority of canvases of Ruzi Choriyev preserved in state museums and galleries of USA, France, Italy, Russia, India and others.