February 19, 2010

Politics:
Priorities in Parliament Activity
Economics:
Uzbekistan, ADB expand cooperation
Uzpromstroybank becomes settlement agent for Visa NNSS system in Uzbekistan
Exhibition of Promising Projects
Society:
Wide Range of Attractive Offers
Uzbek team wins first gold at Asian gymnastics championship

POLICY

PRIORITIES IN PARLIAMENT ACTIVITY

The project of the Activity Program of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis is under development.

Last week the lower house of parliament discussed some priority tasks of its activity and adopted the report on the Ombudsman’s activity in 2009.

Previously the Council of the parliament’s lower house discussed the priority directions of the activity of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis outlined in the report by the President Islam Karimov Upgrade of the Country and Formation of Strong Civil Society is our Key Priority. The Council adopted a relevant resolution and considered the report of the Ombudsman. Those issues were thoroughly studied during a week by political parties’ factions and deputies of the Ecology Movement.

Deputies emphasized the importance of the permanent participation of the deputies of the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan, uniting over 100 specialized NGOs, in the parliament’s activity. The movement’s representatives are designated to promote the further development of the legislation in environment, organization of the systemic activity to enhance the authorities’ responsibility locally and in the center as well as responsibility of different public and other structures on the absolute implementation of adopted documents in this sphere. Henceforward, the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan entered a new stage and it has huge opportunities for raising and monitoring the environmental protection issues and safeguarding the country’s population from dangerous and changes in the ecology.

In the lower house’s plenary session the representatives of the political parties’ factions and the deputy group of the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan shared prospects of their future activity. Upon the discussion they adopted a resolution on the formation of the special commission to develop the Activity Program of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis. Factions of political parties, deputy group of the Ecology Movement and committees of the Legislative Chamber were recommended to take some measures for the radical improvement of the quality of adopted laws, elimination of divergence, replication with previously adopted regulations, and reduction of reference rules. While planning and implementation of review services they were suggested to pay a special attention to the implementation of the Anti-crisis Program for 2009-2012 and its measures on ensuring the secure development of the socioeconomic sphere, absolute implementation of the Job Creation and Population Employment Program for 2010 approved by Oliy Majlis.

While developing a lawmaking strategy and tasks it is planned to empower the civil society institutes, including civil self-government bodies, social and state formation system, transformation of mahalla into a social targeted support center and development of the entrepreneurial and family business.

Deputies also map out to hear and discuss the information by the government officials, heads of ministries and bodies about the execution of laws, important state programs in respective sectors to develop the comprehensively studied recommendations on the improvement of their further activity, enhancement of the parliamentary supervision over the execution of adopted laws by the state authority bodies and local administrations.

The Legislative Chamber is going to direct its efforts to the provision of clear and advanced interaction between economy and social sphere reformation processes leading to the further improvement of sociopolitical and judicial sphere, strengthening of mass media’s role and position in the system of civil society institutes, advanced liberalization, activation of the non-governmental mass media activity, development and adoption of legislative acts envisaged by the State Program the Year of Harmoniously Developed Generation, permanent interaction with the electorate on the absolute implementation of the regulations and tasks outlined in the report by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and explanation of the main points of adopted laws.

The participants of the plenary session of the parliament’s lower house also considered the report on the activity of the Ombudsman of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2009, presented by Sayyora Rashidova. It was noted that the last year’s activity of Ombudsman focused on the enhancement of interaction between the legislative and executive authorities, all levels of state bodies, civil society institutes, international organizations dealing with the protection of human rights and freedoms. Ombudsman carried out a big monitoring work over the enforcement practice of the effective legislation in human rights’ protection, assessment of draftlaws adopted by the parliament committees, government, ministries and agencies, brining the national legislation in compliance with the generally accepted international law principles and regulations, raise of the legal competence of population.

As deputies noted in their speeches, the cooperation between the Ombudsman and the lower house of the parliament was directed not only to the conduction of the legal assessment of the draftlaws but also to the participation in the supervisory and analytical activity, information exchange upon the monitoring the legislation execution, arrangement and conduction of conferences, seminars round tables on human rights’ protection. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)

ECONOMY

UZBEKISTAN, ADB EXPAND COOPERATION

Uzbekistan became the member of the Asian Development Bank in August 1995. The ADB is one of the reliable and active partners of Uzbekistan in the process of implementation of economic reforms. The bank is continuously implementing its strategy and program of cooperation with Uzbekistan.

Since 1995, the ADB has provided loans worth over USD 1.2 billion to Uzbekistan. These funds were used for implementation of 29 strategic projects in the fields of transport infrastructure, energy, agriculture and communal services, small business, as well as education.

Besides, the ADB provided grants worth over USD 32 million to the country as technical assistance. The bank occupies the first place among the international financial institutions in financing projects in Uzbekistan.

At present, Uzbekistan and the ADB are planning implementation of 19 priority projects in the framework of the new three-year financial cooperation program. These projects aim at improvement of the population with drinking water, improvement of lands, equipment of schools, introduction of IT in education, modernization of transport infrastructure, and supporting small business. The bank is expected to allocate a USD 693 million credit for this purpose.

The cooperation between Uzbekistan and the ADB is also developing in the framework of multilateral relations. The bank coordinates the activities of other international financial organizations in the field of development of regional cooperation in Central Asia in priority directions like energy, trade and transport infrastructure.

On 1-4 May, the ADB will hold its 43rd Annual meeting in Tashkent, which will be the first such forum in Central Asia. (Source: National News Agency UzA)

UZPROMSTROYBANK BECOMES SETTLEMENT AGENT FOR VISA NNSS SYSTEM IN UZBEKISTAN

Visa, a global payment system, on 17 February announced the introduction in Uzbekistan of the national net settlement service Uz NNSS allowing the Uzbek banks to carry out interbank settlements via Visa cards in national currency on the country's territory.

When introducing NNSS, based on proposals from partner banks, Visa chooses national settlement bank that will carry out clearing operations among acquirer and issuer banks of the given country in national currency.

Uzpromstroybank (Uzbek industrial construction bank), one of the leading banks in Uzbekistan, has been entrusted with this role. Transactions via NNSS system is possible only if issuer bank, acquirer bank and trading point are located in Uzbekistan, and the currency of transaction is the national currency of the country – soum.

"We are proud that Visa international payment system and our banks committed us to become a settlement agent in processing transactions via the NNSS system," commented Deputy Chairman of Board of Uzpromstroybank Muhammad Mirzabaev.

"The introduction of interbank settlements in national currency is a stimulus for the development of cashless payments in the country, which will promote the increase of banks' liquidity, as well as the growth of retail commodity turnover and advancement of trading retail networks throughout the republic," he added. (Source: Uzreport Business Information Portal)

EXHIBITION OF PROMISING PROJECTS

An exhibition of innovative projects for agriculture and water resources, developed for the third Republican Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects was organized in Tashkent.

It was attended by scientists and specialists of higher educational establishments and scientific research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan, inventors and project leaders.

The decree of President Islam Karimov “On additional measures to stimulate innovative projects and technologies in production” of July 15, 2008 outlines important measures aimed at enhancing the collaboration between research institutions and enterprises of the manufacturing sector of economy, widespread adoption of scientific achievements.

Traditional Republican Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects serves to improve the work in this direction. All relevant agencies and organizations get ready for the next fair to take place in March 1-3 this year.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources also takes measures in this direction. A special commission has organized the exhibition in order to select the most promising projects. It featured more than three hundred scientific developments.

“More than 120 submitted projects were selected for the third Republican Fair of Innovative Ideas, Technologies and Projects,” said Mukhammajon Tashbaltaev, deputy director at Research and Production Center of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.” The commission paid a particular attention to technologies that improve production efficiency and reduce costs.”

Most of the submitted projects relate to compact installations for plant breeding and seed production, pest control, crop cultivation using modern technologies, protection of animals from various diseases, resource-saving units and equipment.

Many young scholars are among the participants of the fair this year.

“Our scientific team will present over 60 projects at the traditional trade fair,” said Bakhtiyor Dzhumaev, head of innovation and integration center at Tashkent State Agrarian University. “It is noteworthy that 21 innovative projects were developed by students, postgraduates and undergraduates. For example, a device for cleaning gear oil at universal tractors can be installed straight to the gearbox, thereby preventing working parts of the tractor from wearing out. The duration of use of transmission oil increases by 50% thus saving 20 liters of oil per year for a tractor. If we consider that there are 30 thousand of these tractors in our country, we can save up to 600,000 liters of oil. At the same time the emission of harmful exhaust gases to the atmosphere is sharply reduced. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)

SOCIETY

WIDE RANGE OF ATTRACTIVE OFFERS

Tashkent hosted the 5th international exhibition “Education and Career” organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Kamolot Civic Youth Movement, Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education and Expocontact and Global Study companies. Thousands of dedicated young people aiming at pursuing some professional education and employment got acquainted with the exposition.

Graduates of colleges and academic lyceums took a great interest in universities of the country. The stands of the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulughbek, Uzbek State World Languages University and other national universities demonstrated not only the specialties they offer but also their achievements over the last years. They included awards won by tutors and students in prestigious contests, textbooks, published by them over the last years, and many other interesting things telling about the life of a certain university.

“Our institute takes part in this exhibition for some years,” told Umida Akhmedkhojaeva, representative of the National Institute for Art and Design. “In our stand we traditionally present booklets and brochures about our institute, and creative works by our students: sketches, paintings, statuettes, and other things. We try to give extended answers to the numerous questions by young people willing to become our students. Incidentally, we see our potential entrants and students in many of those whom we consulted.”

The exhibition also presented detailed information on opportunities of getting the international standard education. It was available in the stands of International Westminster University in Tashkent and the branch of the Moscow State University named after Lomonosov. Representatives of 15 countries of the near and far abroad specially came to the exhibition to invite talented Uzbek young people to study in their country.

The exhibition was also interesting for those who wish to acquire some additional skills or advance their proficiency. This information was offered both by national and international organizations.

It was populous near the stands of recruitment agencies. Such reputable organizations as Youth Employment Assistance Centre and Career Training and Consulting Center offered their services there. Today they not only give information on vacancies in the enterprises but also advise about the vocational guidance issues and choice of the suitable job place.

The Norma Hamkor Ltd. has been the popular participant of the exhibition for the second year round with its new product – the electronic cartographic reference book “My City. Education” which contains information about all educational institutions in Tashkent. It also includes information of financial organizations providing loans for education, scientific and engineering libraries, driving schools, advanced training courses, opportunities for getting education abroad, children’s creativity centers as well as recruitment agencies.

“I came to the exhibition with my sister,” told Nargiza Abdullaeva, student of the National University of Uzbekistan. “The exposition was very informative and interesting both for me, defending my diploma this year, and my sister, who was going to enter the Uzbek State World Languages University.” (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)

UZBEK TEAM WINS FIRST GOLD AT ASIAN GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP

Uzbekistan won its first gold medal in team competition at the Asian rhythmic gymnastics championship continuing in Tashkent.

According to championship rules, winners of team competition are identified according to points scored by three athletes from each team for their performances with rope, hoop, ball and club.

The highest results during the two says of competition were shown by members of Uzbek team Aziza Mamajanova, Sarvina Khalikova and Khusniyabonu Gulyamova.

The gold medal of the championship was presented by the president of the Asian gymnastics association Rahmon Al-Shahri.

The silver medal went to the team of Kazakhstan and bronze to the Chinese team. (Source: National News Agency UzA)