July 23, 2010
Politics:
Lawmakers Refine Activity
Uzbekistan to Switch to Bio Passports
Economics:
Syrdarya: gross regional product up 11.2%, retail trade 15% in 1H 2010
Navoi: GRP grows by 5.7%, agricultural output 6.4% in Jan-Jun 2010
Delegation of Indian Commerce and Industry Chamber visits State Property Committee
Uzbekistan Airways upgrades fleet
Uzbek grain growers gather 7 million tons of harvest, fulfill contractual obligations
Society:
Human rights trainings for law enforcement and judiciary bodies
Artistic Creativity in Young Miners
POLICY
LAWMAKERS REFINE ACTIVITY
Recently the Executive Committee of the Central Council of People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan has held a joint meeting with the party’s parliamentary faction in the lower house of parliament. The discussion focused on the performance of deputies of the Legislative Chamber and local councils elected from PDPU.
The participants discussed the ways of raising initiatives within parliamentary factions of political parties, intensification of the influence of party groups in local councils of people’s representatives upon the solution of socioeconomic tasks on territorial development as well as rise of the role of party and deputy associations in ensuring the effective control over observance of laws and important governmental resolutions. These issues were highlighted in the report of the head of the state in the joint meeting of two houses of Oliy Majlis on 27 January, 2010.
Deputies extensively debated on rising parliamentary faction’s initiatives in lawmaking, strengthening responsibility for central and local parliamentary control over observance of laws and other important governmental decisions. Work with constituency was assigned a special part. They analyzed the outcome of the faction’s activity carried out in election districts in June, and specified the tasks for its further improvement proceeding from the party’s program goals.
According to Khayrullo Ruzmetov, member of the PDPU parliamentary faction, all these tasks should be fulfilled by the faction members in close cooperation with PDPU groups in corresponding district, municipal and regional councils of people’s representatives.
“On one hand, such interaction will enable members of the parliamentary faction to base on activists of local deputy associations, local and primary organizations of the party. With this they will achieve carefulness and impartiality while monitoring local observance of laws, interests and needs of the party’s electorate. From the other hand, members of PDPU groups in local councils will get the regular professional support by parliamentarians. In its turn, this will favor rising the effectiveness of their influence on the solution of priority socioeconomic tasks related to territorial development,” the deputy believes.
The Executive Committee of the PDPU Central Council and the party’s parliamentary faction made respective decisions upon the discussion. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)
UZBEKISTAN TO SWITCH TO BIO PASSPORTS
The State Personalization Center under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan signed a contract with Oberthur Technologies S.A Company (France) to the amount of over 75,107 million euro within the closed tender on the project Establishment of Biometric Passport System in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Loan funds of the Societe Generate bank of France will be drawn for the financing. They will be refinanced through the National Bank for Foreign Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Financial costs and loan servicing expenditures for the investment period will be defrayed at the expense of the country’s state budget.
The French company will be released of the value-added tax for its works and services during the project implementation. Foreign subcontractors and advisers will be released from the legal entity income tax paid on the income received both from the payment source and fixed institution. Besides, equipment and special hardware including components, consumables and spare parts supplied within the project were released from customs payments.
The Biometric passport system should be introduced in the country by 1 January, 2011.
The first stage envisages changing passports in officers working in ministries, governmental bodies, individuals going or staying abroad as well as in people reaching a certain age. All Uzbek citizens will receive biometric passports in the course of the second stage in 2012-2016. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)
ECONOMY
SYRDARYA: GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT UP 11.2%, RETAIL TRADE 15% IN 1H 2010
Administration of Gulistan city has hosted a meeting to discuss results of socioeconomic development of Syrdarya region in the first half of 2010 and priority tasks on the implementation of the country's socioeconomic development program for 2010.
It was noted that the gradual reforms, pursued within the Anti-Crisis Program initiated by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, are an important factor of ensuring socioeconomic stability.
The gross regional product (GRP) of Syrdarya region has increased by 11.2% in January-June 2010. Production of consumer goods grew by 2.2%, agricultural output – by 13%, retail trade turnover – 15%, paid services – 15.2%. The region exported products worth $20.9 million.
As a result of work on provision of employment to the population, some 21,530 new workplaces were created in the reporting period, mainly in rural area. 275 housing estates are currently being built on typical projects.
126 production enterprises were commissioned in January-June 2010 in the region. Investments worth $11.3 million were attracted within the regional investment program. 56.1 billion soums of long-term investment credits were issued for the modernization, technical and technological re-equipment of enterprises. (Source: Uzreport Information Portal)
NAVOI: GRP GROWS BY 5.7%, AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT 6.4% IN JAN-JUN 2010
Administration of Navoi city has hosted a meeting to discuss results of socioeconomic development of the region in the first half of 2010 and priority tasks on the implementation of the country's socioeconomic development program for 2010.
It was noted that the gradual reforms, pursued within the Anti-Crisis Program initiated by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, are an important factor of ensuring socioeconomic stability.
The gross regional product (GRP) of Navoi region increased by 5.7% in January-June 2010. Agricultural output and production of consumer goods rose by 6.4%, construction work – by 17.1%, sphere of services – by 17.4%.
As a result of work on maintaining employment of the population, some 23,700 new workplaces were created in the reporting period. The support of small business and private entrepreneurship was an important factor of that.
The positive indicators in the sphere of foreign trade turnover of the region, observed at the end of 2009, remained the same in the first half of 2010. Export of products and services in Navoi region made up $252.7 million in January-June 2010. (Source: Uzreport Information Portal)
DELEGATION OF INDIAN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER VISITS STATE PROPERTY COMMITTEE
A meeting with the representatives of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was held on 19 July at the State Property Committee of Uzbekistan.
The Indian delegation was informed on the relations between the business communities of the two countries. It was noted that governments of Uzbekistan and India attach great initiative to the establishment of collaboration among business circles.
The presentation shown to Indian guests during the meeting familiarized them with the wide opportunities of foreign investors' participation in the realization of privatization program, revealed the huge privatization potential of Uzbekistan.
The sides expressed hope for fruitful cooperation in the future, and acknowledged that this visit would open new opportunities for business circles of India in Uzbekistan, as well as allow to expand spheres of bilateral cooperation. (Source: Uzreport Information Portal)
UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS UPGRADES FLEET
Uzbekistan Airways National Air Company received the fifth Il-114-100 liner of new modification produced by Tashkent Aircraft Plant named after Chkalov.
The carrier is continuing its policy of upgrading the fleet with modern aircrafts with high fuel efficiency and excellent comfort. This work is being held in accordance with the State program of development of civil aviation until 2020.
All Il-114-100 planes have new-generation equipment and the latest avionics. Uzbekistan Airways has operated Il-114-100 aircrafts since 2003. They have replaced the outdated Yak-40 and An-24 planes.
According to the air company, Il-114-100 has an optimum ratio of technical and economic characteristics. The aircraft is designed for 52 passengers and is very economical in terms of fuel consumption.
In accordance with the contract concluded with Tashkent Aircraft Production Plant, the National Air Company of Uzbekistan will receive two more Il-114-100 planes: one in late 2010 and the other in early 2011.
This month the airline began operating its first A320 plane of Airbus Industries consortium. The company is set to receive nine more such planes. Uzbekistan Airways has also placed orders for four Boeing-767 and two Boeing-787 Dreamliner planes. (Source: National News Agency UzA)
UZBEK GRAIN GROWERS GATHER 7 MILLION TONS OF HARVEST, FULFILL CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The grain growers of Uzbekistan have gathered nearly 7 million tons of harvest and overfulfilled their annual contractual obligations. This victory of the country's farmers has been a worthy gift to the homeland's 19th anniversary of independence.
Uzbekistan has gained abundant experience on grain growing. This year farmers gathered 286,000 tons more compared with 2009. Average crop yield made up 51 centers from 1 hectare.
According to the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, when choosing grades, farmers are taking into account soil and climatic conditions of each region and improving agricultural machinery of growing grain crops on irrigated areas, which promotes improvement of quality and consumer properties of grain.
Special attention is paid to development of high yielding, stable to deceases, early maturing and perspective grades of grain. In particular, our scientists have created more than 10 types of such grains, namely Chillaki, Zamin-1, Bobur, Dustlik, Andijon-1, Andijon-2, Andijon-4, which also increases harvest volumes. (Source: Uzreport Information Portal)
SOCIETY
HUMAN RIGHTS TRAININGS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIARY BODIES
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Uzbekistan has organized a series of trainings on the "Implementation of the Convention against Torture in the work of judiciary and law-enforcement bodies".
The trainings were organized in cooperation with the Department for Human Rights Protection of the Ministry of Interior, the Research Center under the Supreme Court and the Legal Training Center under the Ministry of Justice.
The Republic of Uzbekistan joined the Convention against Torture on 31 August 1995. In 2005 it presented the first National Action Plan on its implementation.
The 2009 National Action plan on follow-up to the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council after consideration of the Universal Periodic Review of Uzbekistan also contains measures to combat torture.
This Action plan foresees training of the police officers on the principles of the Convention against Torture and training of judges on addressing complaints about torture during trials.
The trainings raised awareness on the provisions of international and national laws against torture and any forms of cruel and degrading treatment, as well as capacity building in addressing complaints about torture.
The participants of the trainings included representatives of law enforcement officers from Tashkent, Tashkent region, Samarkand, Navoi and Jizzakh.
The trainings were facilitated by international trainers - Slawomir Cybulski and Bogna Chmielewska, who have experience in organizing similar trainings for law-enforcement institutions in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries.
The trainings were organized by the UNDP "Development capacities of the national human rights institutions" project. The main objective of the project is to strengthen national capacities for promotion and protection of human rights and access to justice in Uzbekistan. The project will achieve its outputs through strengthening capacities of national human rights institutions to effectively fulfill their mandates. (Source: Uzreport Information Portal)
ARTISTIC CREATIVITY IN YOUNG MINERS
This is a court of the Navoi Mining Professional College. There are many sculptures of fairy-tale and mythical heroes carved out of dried trees’ trunks on the lawns. They add a unique atmosphere to the institution.
It is noteworthy that the number of characters increases as students from circles manage to create a worthy statue. This is not that easy: first of all they have to find a trunk resembling a certain character’s silhouette among dried trees, process it carefully to give it a recognizable appearance, and then place it on the lawn. This is not just the leisure pastime, but a part of a training process: they perfect their professional skills by means of such a creative activity. Wooden statues attach a unique atmosphere of training in the college. Teachers say a fairy-tale court cultivates kindness and careful treatment to the environment in students. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)