April 15, 2009
Politics:
Uzbekistan calls for rational use of water in Central Asia
Economics:
State Demonopolization Committee works on improvement of legal base in sphere of natural monopoly
Uzbekistan to spend over US$2bn to upgrade chemical industry
Creating conditions for fast development of private sector
Business Women Partake at Contest to Reveal their Best
Uzbek Post expanding range of services
Society:
Roundtable discusses organization of inclusive education
ICT council holds session
International Kurash Tournament Takes Place in Termez
POLICY
UZBEKISTAN CALLS FOR RATIONAL USE OF WATER IN CENTRAL ASIA
Uzbekistan should solve use of water and energy resources in Central Asia based on mutual understanding, constructive dialogue and consensus among the countries of the region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan said on a statement on April 13, Uzreport Information Portal reported.
The statement said any neglect from these principles can cause ecological, economic, social and political consequences in the region.
Uzbek Ministry recalled that Amurdarya and Syrdarya, two rivers in Central Asia, play important role for people of the region. The statement said the decision of the USSR era on use of water resources of Amurdarya and Syrdarya brought to tragedy in Aral Sea Basin.
The statement said rational use of water and natural resources is important as there is persistent shortage of drinking and irrigative water in some territories of the region.
Issues on reasonable water use touches interest of all countries of the Central Asia and adoption of any decision, without taking into account interest of neighbours, can aggravate situation with water supply of lower reaches of Amudarya and Syrdarya and damage ecologic situation in the region further, which can negatively impact millions of lives in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Uzbek foreign ministry said that 65% of population in the region live in rural areas and work in agriculture sector, which wholly depends on safe water supply.
The ministry said attempts to realize wide-scale hydro power stations can further aggravate situation and misbalance water management mechanisms in the Central Asian region. The statement said such projects' authors eye commercial interest and political targets, but do not think about destiny of about millions. It added that further development of events on this scenario can bring unpredictable consequences.
Uzbekistan adheres to position on necessity of rational and effective use of water resources in Central Asia based on international norms.
The Uzbek sides said all wide-scale construction at basins of trans-border rivers should be agreed with all states of the region, which is set norm of international law.
Uzbekistan confirmed its firm position on necessity of mandatory expertise of hydro power projects at trans-border rivers under aegis of the UN. The statement said independent specialists should audit construction of such hydro power stations as Kambartin GES-1 and Rogun GES.
ECONOMY
STATE DEMONOPOLIZATION COMMITTEE WORKS ON IMPROVEMENT OF LEGAL BASE IN SPHERE OF NATURAL MONOPOLY
State Demonopolization Committee prepared a regulation on order of formation and management of the State Registrar of Natural Monopolies, which was registered by the Justice Ministry on March 30, 2009.
The committee studies experience of foreign states on regulation of activity of natural monopoly and management of registrar at preparation of the regulation.
The regulation determines order of inclusion and exclusion of natural monopolies to and from registrar, as well as determines list of goods and services, production and realization of which carried out at natural monopolies.
State Demonopolization Committee forms and manages the State Registrar of Natural Monopoly. The committee with Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry and other bodies prepared action plan on execution of the regulation. The committee also started to work on making list of natural monopolies.
UZBEKISTAN TO SPEND OVER US$2BN TO UPGRADE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Uzkimyosanoat (Uzbek chemical industry) state joint-stock company will implement projects worth US$2.062 billion to upgrade the sector in 2009-14, national newspaper Business Vestnik Vostoka (BVV) reported.
Hamidulla Shermatov, deputy chairman of Uzkimyosanoat’s board of directors, has told journalists during the Industrial Expo-2009 open international fair that the programme included 12 projects worth US$269.2 million, which are at the stage of implementation, and seven projects worth US$1.79 billion, which are being drafted.
He also said that the projects were included into the government’s programme to upgrade and to technically and technologically re-equip production in Uzbekistan in 2009-14. The programme was adopted in March.
The financing of the projects will be carried out from foreign investments and loans totalling US$1.438 billion, loans by the Reconstruction and Development Fund – US$374 million, Uzkimyosanoat’s own funds – US$196.7 million and loans by Uzbek banks – US$53.3 million.
CREATING CONDITIONS FOR FAST DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR
In order to create the conditions for fast development of private sector, particularly protection of legal rights and interests of entrepreneurs, the State Demonopolisation Committee implements systematic principle work to examine the legislative and regulatory acts for the presence of the norms that concern the interests of entrepreneurs, according to BVV newspaper.
As practice shows the creation of additional conditions for some of the entrepreneurs sometimes leads to the hampering of the growth of entrepreneurship in the country. In order to prevent the creation of unequal conditions, support the growth of the share of small business and private enterprise in the GDP the legislative and regulatory acts were examined.
In the reporting period 60 draft legislative and regulatory documents were examined, of them 8 are draft laws, 9 draft decrees and resolutions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 26 draft resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and 17 draft normative documents developed by the ministries and departments. At the same time a number of draft documents were edited and amended, the Committee said.
Thus, the draft Regulation on the order of lease of state property was almost fully revised. It envisages the simplification of the procedure of lease of currently empty state buildings. Substantial changes relating were introduced to the Resolutions “On additional measures to improve the nature protection activity in the system of communal services”, “On additional measures to expand the protection of consumer goods and saturation of the domestic market”, and a number of other documents.
BUSINESS WOMEN PARTAKE AT CONTEST TO REVEAL THEIR BEST
The Women’s gathering Public Association and Mekhr nuri Fund and several other organizations held the joint event on awarding the winners of the contest “Social protection of the rural women” at the Center of National Arts in Tashkent, Jahon Information Agency reported.
The issues on employing the women, who reside at the farthest districts, developing small and private businesses among them and home-stay labor have been stipulated at the Year of Development and Improvement of Countryside State Program adopted in Uzbekistan for 2009 as among the priority ones to be addressed this year.
The contest “Social protection of the rural women” organized with a view of tackling these issues is important in terms of comprehensively supporting the businesswomen at the local levels, rendering them necessary legal and informational aid to run businesses, as well as supporting them in implementing the business projects.
Over 7,000 businesswomen participated at the contest in such directions as producing agricultural goods, foodstuff, textile and sewing, developing national craftsmanship, rendering public and social services. One hundred of them became winners of the contest.
One of them is Mukhabbat Khakimova from the Mevazor makhalla (the local neighborhood community area) in Urgench District in Khorezm Province.
“We have been doing the beekeeping for over 30 years,” Ms. Khakimova said. “The victory in the contest gives me an opportunity to establish a specialized farm and achieve bigger results in beekeeping.”
UZBEK POST EXPANDING RANGE OF SERVICES
Since 2005, O‘zbekiston Pochtasi company has been implementing the program of modernization of the postal network and introduction of new ICT-based services, designed until 2010, UzA reported.
According to first deputy director general of the company H.Tajibayeva, today the Uzbek Post provides not only traditional services, but also accepts payments for communal services and offers money transfer services.
O‘zbekiston Pochtasi has three subsidiary companies, including Xalqaro Pochtamt (international postal services), O‘zbekiston Markasi (stamp production) and Remittance Control Center.
It also runs 14 regional branches, 177 district and city stations, and about 3,000 postal stations, most of which are located in remote areas.
In 2008, the Uzbek Post provided services worth UZS 1.8 billion. Soft profit in the first quarter of 2009 made up UZS 600 million.
Despite widespread use of the internet, the number of postal correspondence has not decreased, but, on the contrary, is increasing by 3-5 percent annually, Tajibayeva said.
Currently the company is introducing the system of hybrid money transfers across its stations. The system will allow sending money using the electronic method first and then using the traditional post to the remote villages.
SOCIETY
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSES ORGANIZATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Public Education Ministry of Uzbekistan and Social Initiative Support Fund (SISF) organized a roundtable on social, organizational and economic aspects of educating children with the disabilities.
The meeting noted that the government of Uzbekistan carries out reforms education system, including educating children with the disabilities.
Within the State Programme "The Year of Development and Well-Being of Villages", the government is working on strengthening material-technical base of the special schools, their equipment, etc, UzA reported.
The report said the country and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are implementing project on general education for children with the disabilities in Tashkent city, Surkhandarya region and Kashkadarya region.
Participants discussed issues of creating necessary conditions and opportunities for inclusive education, further improving training work, supporting children, improving skills of teachers and others.
ICT COUNCIL HOLDS SESSION
The Cabinet’s Coordination council for development of computerization and ICT held its regular session.
The participants considered issues of improvement of the legislative base in the fields of ICT development, creation of information resources and personnel training.
It was said that the state bodies and economic entities should pay more attention to introduction of modern information technologies.
The council approved the program of preparation of normative documents on information security for the years 2009-2012.
INTERNATIONAL KURASH TOURNAMENT TAKES PLACE IN TERMEZ
The Ninth international kurash (Uzbek national wrestling) tournament for the prize of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the memory of Khakim at-Termizi finished at the city of Termez, according to the Narodnoye slovo newspaper.
For two days palvans (wrestlers) from about 30 countries from around the world wrestled in six weight categories and attempted to secure overall championship.
The palvans from Uzbekistan Rishad Sabirov (60 kg), Uktam Babaev (73 kg), Babamurad Rustamov (81 kg), Abdulla Khaliyarov (90 kg) and Omar Demirsi of Turkey took first places at their weight categories according to the official results of the competition.
In an attempt to get hold of the overall championship Abdulla Tangriev of Uzbekistan, the silver medalist of the Beijing Summer Olympics of 2008, beat all his opponents and was awarded the prize of President of Uzbekistan.
At the same time, Brazilian Rafael da Silva took the second place and Pavel Malavanis of Poland was the third.