7 December, 2011

Politics:
President signs resolution on deepening reforms in healthcare
Meeting of the commission
Senate passes amnesty resolution
Senate holds plenary session, adopts new laws
Uzbek-Slovenian business forum held

POLITICS

President signs resolution on deepening reforms in healthcare

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a resolution on 28 November on measures to deepen the reforms of the healthcare sector.

The document states that thanks to reforms in the healthcare system over the years of independence of Uzbekistan an integrated organizational structure of providing medical care to the population has been created. It covers all levels – from rural health units providing primary health care, district (city) medical associations, and regional multi-profile medical centers to the national specialized medical centers providing sophisticated medical services.

During the past 10 years, over USD 750 million of budget funds, loans and grants have been invested in the modernization of healthcare facilities and their provision with modern laboratory, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Expenditures for healthcare have increased 3.6 times since early 1990s and now comprise about 4% of the country’s gross domestic product and more than 15.7% of the state budget.

As a result of these measures, life expectancy has increased from 67 to 73 years compared to 1990, and maternal and infant mortality has decreased 3.1 and 3.2 times respectively. The overall level of diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis and infectious diseases has decreased significantly.

However, the President’s resolution notes, the quality of public health services, particularly at the local levels, and the state of the material and technical base of the district and regional medical associations still do not meet the increased modern requirements. The system of management of the national specialized medical centers requires cardinal improvement, with introduction of the experience of the leading international medical centers, as well as advanced forms of organization and motivation of the employees.

In order to further deepen the reforms of the healthcare system, improve the efficiency of medical establishments to provide high-quality services in accordance with modern requirements and standards, as well as introduce advanced forms and methods of management and organization of work within the healthcare system of Uzbekistan, the resolution outlines a number of directions of reforms of the system in the years 2012 through 2015.

Among these direction is ensuring wide availability and high quality of primary medical care to the population, especially in rural areas, and cardinal improvement of the efficiency of work of the diagnostic and ambulatory care establishments working in disease prevention and health protection.

It is also planned to optimize and restructure the network of medical facilities and hospital beds at the district and city levels, to improve the management of the national specialized medical centers, to increase the efficiency and quality of emergency medical services, to improve the system of healthcare of mothers and children, to strengthen the preventive measures against viral and infectious diseases, as well as socially significant diseases, and to put in order the operations and of the private healthcare institutions.

During 2012-2014, 102 additional rural medical units should be built in remote rural areas, in order to provide fast and convenient access of the population to primary health care. Besides, modernization of 100 regional medical associations is planned. In 2012-2013, the republican specialized medical centers will be corporatized, with 51% of their shares remaining with the state and 49% being allocated to the personnel.

Meeting of the commission


In accordance with the Instruction of the President of Uzbekistan “On measures to implement the concept of further deepening of democratic reforms and the formation of civil society in the country in the field of reforming the information sphere and ensuring freedom of speech and information” of 14 January 2011, the Cabinet of Ministers’ Commission for development of normative-legal documents held its regular session.

The meeting participants noted the importance of the improvement of the draft law “On TV and radio broadcasting”, developed with consideration of the ideas expressed at the international round table in November devoted to the prospects of the creation and distribution of TV and radio programs.

The session also considered draft laws “On the openness of the activity of the bodies of state authority and management” and “On the guarantees of the state support of the mass media”.

The course of public discussion of these draft laws, including through the official websites of government agencies, was analyzed.

Senate passes amnesty resolution

The Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution on 5 December on the amnesty in connection with the 19th anniversary of Constitution of the country.

The resolution was passed based on the proposal of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.

(1) In accordance with the document, the following categories of the convicted will be amnestied (exceptions apply):

• women;

• persons aged below 18 at the moment of committing the crime;

• men older than 60;

• foreign citizens.

(2) The amnesty also applies to persons who had committed crime due to carelessness, as well as those convicted for the first time for the crimes that do not pose large threat or less severe crimes.

(3) The first and second group disabled (except those who committed intentional murder with aggravating circumstances), persons who had been acknowledged (not more than one year prior to this resolution) to be having severe diseases disallowing serving the sentence, and (4) persons (except those who committed intentional murder with aggravating circumstances) whose remaining sentence terms do not exceed two years will also be exempted from punishment.

(5) The persons who had been convicted for the first time for participation in the banned organizations, committing crimes against peace and security or public security as their members, but who have stepped on the path of improvement, will be amnestied, too.

(6) The resolution states that the persons whose remaining sentence term is less than three years will be transferred to the colony-settlements.

All cases on crimes committed by persons listed in clauses (1) and (2) above will be stopped.

The resolution on amnesty does not apply to persons who had been convicted for long-term or life imprisonment terms; those who had been acknowledged as especially dangerous recidivists; those who had committed crime as part of criminal group; those who systematically violate the sentence serving order; as well as those whose death penalty was changed as pardon to the imprisonment.

The clause (1) does not apply to persons who had committed especially gross crimes.

The clauses (1) to (4), (6) and (7) do not apply to persons who had been convicted for participation in the banned organizations, committing crimes against peace and security or public security as their members.

The clauses (4) to (6) do not apply to persons who had been amnestied previously but had committed intentional crimes again.

The Senate entrusted corresponding committees and commissions to ensure direct participation of the deputies in the implementation of the public control and openness of the amnesty procedures.

The resolution enters into force on the date of publication and should be implemented within three months.

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Senate holds plenary session, adopts new laws

The seventh plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan opened in Tashkent on 5 December.

The senators considered the issue of the amnesty in connection with the 19th anniversary of the Constitution of Uzbekistan, submitted to the upper house of parliament by President Islam Karimov.

It was noted that the adoption of the amnesty act on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the Constitution was another demonstration of humanity of the state, in which the human rights and interests are the highest value, the essence of the democratic, political and socioeconomic reforms.

It is envisaged to implement a package of measures aimed at social adaptation, including employment, and protection of persons who are freed from punishment on the amnesty act.

The senators also approved the State Budget of Uzbekistan for 2012. The document stipulates further reduction of the tax burden on economic entities and individuals, creating favorable conditions for further modernization, technical and technological reequipment of enterprises, simplifying the tax system, and implementation of other measures needed to stimulate the economic growth and increase the real income of the population.

In order to support the accelerated development of small business, the single tax for enterprises in the industry sector will be reduced from 6 to 5 percent. Besides, the minimum tax rate on personal income will be reduced by 1 percentage point, which will ensure reduction of tax for each group of taxpayers.

The State Budget for 2012 envisages maintaining high expenditures for social services and social support, with their share making up 58.6 percent of the total expenditures. In particular, funding for education, healthcare, increasing salaries and social allowances is being increased.

The Senate approved the Program of creation of workplaces and employment of the population in 2012, developed by the Cabinet of Ministers. The document provides for creation of 967,500 jobs next year, mostly in rural areas, by implementing the Investment program of 2012, the Program of localization of production for 2011-2013, regional socioeconomic and industrial development and regional investment programs.

The senators approved the Law “On introducing amendment in Article 90 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, submitted by the head of the state. The amendment reduces the term of office of the President from the current seven years to five. In this regard, amendments are also introduced in other legislative acts of Uzbekistan.

It was noted that during the 20 years of independent development, Uzbekistan has come a long way of reformation of the government and the constitutional principle of separation of powers, formation of an effective system of checks and balances among them, increasing the role and powers of the legislative and representative authorities at the central and local levels, and strengthening the independence of the judiciary.

In the framework of consistent, systematic and large-scale reforms, the work has been carried out to transfer to the legislative and executive structures of the part of the rights and powers of the President, which the head of the state was given in the first years of formation of the national statehood and the free market economy. One of the politico-legal acts of great importance was the abolition of the post of the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, which was previously held by the President, and transfer of these powers to the Prime Minister, as well as exclusion from the Constitution of the norms stating that the President was the head of the executive power.

With the formation of the two-house parliament, the larger part of the President’s powers was passed and is today successfully carried out by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan.

The senators stressed that all of these and other measures were a concrete evidence of purposeful, gradual and evolutionary advancement of the country on the path of democratization and liberalization of the political and economic system, and realization of the long-term goal that Uzbekistan has set – to join the developed democratic states.

As the senators noted, the adoption of the law establishing the five-year term of electing the President instead of the existing seven years reflected the objective reality, the logic and sequence of reforms implemented in the country. This meets the requirements of the currently realized Concept of further deepening of democratic reforms and formation of civil society in the country, as well as the practice prevailing in most developed democracies of the world.

The Senate then approved the Law “On introducing changes and amendments to the Criminal Procedures Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan”. The main purpose of the law, which extends the number of cases for launching and investigating criminal cases on the complaint of the victim, is further liberalization of criminal procedures legislation.

A number of laws that the Senate passed were developed in accordance with the Concept of further deepening of democratic reforms and the formation of civil society in the country proposed by President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov at the joint session of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan on 12 November 2010.

These include the Law “On competition”, amendments to the laws “On telecommunications”, “On state statistics”, “On subsoils”, and “On tax consulting”.

Uzbek-Slovenian business forum held

The forum of business circles of Uzbekistan and Slovenia was held in Tashkent on 6 December. The event was organized by the Ministry of foreign economic relations, investments and trade of Uzbekistan.

The forum was attended by heads of ministries and departments, companies and organizations of the two countries working in the areas of economy, trade, investments, banking and finance, IT, pharmaceuticals, tourism, construction sector, machinery building, energy and others.

The sides considered issues of expansion of cooperation, including involvement of the Slovenian companies in the privatization process in Uzbekistan and implementation of joint projects in Navoi free industrial and economic zone.

Today, there are eight joint ventures in Uzbekistan created with Slovenian capital. The areas of special interest for the Slovenian investors are food industry, agriculture, tourism, pharmaceuticals and others.

“Our countries possess huge potential for expansion of cooperation,” ambassador of Slovenia Ada Philip-Slivnik said. “This business forum has helped the Slovenian business people learn the Uzbek market better and will serve to development of partnership in the future.”

At the end of the forum, the Uzbek and Slovenian entrepreneurs participated in the cooperation exchange.