July 27, 2009

Economics:
Uzbekistan Airways Acquires IOSA Certificate
Cars to Switch to Natural Gas
SamAuto Develops Low-Entry Buses
Beeline unites now the Internet and fixed telephony
Society:
Uzbek citizens now can get Master's degree in Japanese universities
Children with heart diseases receive treatment in SKorea

ECONOMY

UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS ACQUIRES IOSA CERTIFICATE

International Air Transport Association (IATA) officially confirmed that the national air company of Uzbekistan is included in the registry of IOSA operators (IATA Operational Safety Audit). The IOSA certificate granted to National Air Company Uzbekiston Havo Yullari is the verification that all operational safety parameters of the air company are fully consistent with the IATA standards. The certificate is an official confirmation of the international status of a safe air services, Uzbekistan Today newspaper reported.

The national air company of Uzbekistan has always sought to meet higthest international quality standards. IOSA Certification is part of Uzbekistan Airways’ policy aimed at improving all aspects of its activity. IOSA Certificate is generally recognized and necessary document for air companies for the conclusion of cooperation agreements on joint servicing of air lines, as well as for granting rights to sell tickets to flights of partner air companies. Yet most important is that it is an obligatory requirement for airlines for joining IATA and international airline associations.

As it is well-known, the most important priority for international civil aviation is safety. In order to protect interests of passengers there are so-called “black lists” of airlines that do not meet air safety requirements. Such airlines are banned from performing flights to many countries in the world, and passengers are not recommended to use their services.

At the same time, in order to collect and present objective information to international community on the level of safety of all airlines, IATA has developed and implemented in 2003 a program of International Operational Safety Audit, IOSA, which is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

In preparation for the audit Uzbekiston Havo Yullari improved and in some cases rebuilt all its main production units in accordance with quality and safety standards developed by the International Air Transport Association. The list of standards (more than 900 items) includes all major areas of civil aviation activity. The successful passage of the audit supposes 100 percent implementation of all standards.

The national airline has stood this crucial exam. In April this year, the company performing the inspection officially announced that the IOSA audit had been completed, and on June16, 2009, after IATA procedures, National Air Company Uzbekiston Havo Yullari has been included in the official register of IOSA operators, which also includes Russia’s Aeroflot.

Thus, Uzbekistan Airways has made an important step toward joining SkyTeam Alliance. At present, this alliance that controls 35% of the world passenger and freight transport market comprises 14 airlines - Korean Air, KLM, Air France, Al-Italia, CSA, Aeroflot, Delta, NorthWest, Continental, Aeromexico, China Southern Airlines, Air Europa, Kenya Airways and Copa Airlines.

Joining the SkyTeam will ensure Uzbekistan Airways new opportunities for further integration into the international air transport system, improving safety and regularity of flights, as well as quality of services.

The issued IOSA operator certificate can be rightly regarded as high assessment of the national air company by the authoritative international organization. And it opens new horizons for the company in the world aviation industry.

CARS TO SWITCH TO NATURAL GAS

Some 140 sondensed natural gas (CNG) stations to be build by 2012 throughout the country
National Holding Company (NHC) Uzbekneftegaz has announced a tender for a foreign party to establish an enterprise with foreign investment to build a network of CNG stations in regions of the republic.

As Uzbekneftegaz reports, under the tender terms the contribution of the Uzbek party in the joint venture will be 51% in theform of appraised value of fixed assets of subsidiary company Avtogazta’minot, a unit of JSC Uztransgaz, the contribution of a foreign party will constitute 49% in the form of funds and process equipment to be supplied for constructing CNG stations.

Applications for bids will be accepted until August 14. The project includes construction of 30 CNG stations in all regions of the country with an annual output of 4 mln cu.m of compressed natural gas by each station.

We should note that NHC Uzbekneftegaz and Korea-based Blitix have signed an agreement on establish joint venture UB Energy for manufacturing equipment for CNG stations and auto gas cylinders. The project worth $8.4 mln provides for producing equipment for CNG stations and about seventy thousand gas cylinders a year.

In early 2007, the Government of Uzbekistan adopted a program of phased transferring of motor vehicles to natural gas consumption till the end of 2012. It is projected to build 138 CNG stations across the country with an aggregate capacity of 708 mln cu.m of compressed natural gas, as well as 952 gas filling stations with a total capacity of 476,000 tons of liquefied gas. According to estimates, expansion of CNG stations network will increase domestic consumption of methane from 283.5 mln cu.m to 919 mln cu.m per year, while consumption of liquefied gas will grow from 210,000 tons in 2007 to 638,000 tons by 2012.

SAMAUTO DEVELOPS LOW-ENTRY BUSES

Samarkand Automobile Plant reported the development of a prototype 8-meter low-entry bus model SamAuto LE 60.

As SamAuto informs, the bus can make room for up to 65 passengers and has a total weight of 9.8 tons.

SamAuto LE 60 has a spacious cabin, comfortable seats and is fully controlled air suspension that allows for convenience of passengers to tilt the machine at the bus stops on the right side, as well as a ramp to help people with functional limitations get on the bus.

The smooth move of the bus is ensured by power units from European companies: Deutz diesel engine with rear east-west mounting, ZF gearbox, rear axle and front suspension by RABA.

Independent front suspension also contributes to soft movement. Braking safety is ensured through ABS and ASR brake systems by WABCO.

Emission level of SamAuto LE 60 meets Euro-3/4 standards with the possibility to raise it to Euro-5.

Samarkand Automobile Plant manufacturing buses and trucks was established in November 2006 on the basis of Uzbek-Turkish JV SamKochAvto.

BEELINE UNITES NOW THE INTERNET AND FIXED TELEPHONY

Single communication operator Beeline (Unitel and Buzton) announced on 24 July the beginning of work of Buzton company under Beeline brand in the mass market of Uzbekistan. It was noted at the press conference organized on this occasion in Tashkent, the changes will affect all products and services, according to Uzreport Information Portal.

"The occurrence of services of a fixed-line telephony and broadband access to the Internet under brand Beeline gives us additional benefits in the market of telecommunication services, and to our subscribers simplifies a choice at connection to various types of communication," Director General of Unitel Igor Pilyugin said.

In the mass market Buzton company offers, besides the high-quality fixed telephony, access to the Internet on technologies of Dial-up (ROL brand) and ADSL (GolfStream brand). Moreover, in the country there is being constructed a wide fiber optic data network FTTB (Fiber To The Building), solving the problem of "the last mile".

According to representatives of Beeline, today the FTTB network completely covers the city of Zarafshan, and its construction in Uchkuduk comes to the end. Then it will be introduced in Navoi, Samarkand and Tashkent.

"We are assured that strong positions of Beeline brand in the market of Uzbekistan become pledge of our successful work in mass segment," Director General of Buzton Ivan Smolentsev noted.

"Unitel and Buzton have a sufficient set of technologies and services which can be used in various variants, and similar combinations will help us with foreseeable prospect to establish a wide range of tariff offers," he added.

SOCIETY

UZBEK CITIZENS NOW CAN GET MASTER'S DEGREE IN JAPANESE UNIVERSITIES

Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution "On measures to effectively use grants of the government of Japan for the organization of study of the representatives of the Republic of Uzbekistan" on July 16 this year.

The document says that with a view of effective use of grants of the Japanese Government worth 244 million yens given for the organization of training of the representatives of Uzbekistan in Japan, the Cabinet of Ministers resolved to accept the offer of the Government of Japan on the organization of training of the representatives of Uzbekistan in MA courses of the leading universities of Japan.

Selection of nominees for the training will be carried out by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japanese International Cooperation Center (JICE), Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan.

Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan have been entrusted with the registration, in coordination with the Japanese side, of all procedures for reception and service of the funds of free aid for the project implementation.

The settlement service of the funds of the above-stated free aid will be carried out through the National Bank of Foreign Economic Activities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In line with the resolution, Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan in conjunction with the interested ministries and departments will assist in approval of the documents on education and employment of specialists from Uzbekistan, who studied in Japan within the framework of the JICA project.

CHILDREN WITH HEART DISEASES RECEIVE TREATMENT IN SKOREA

About 20 children of Uzbekistan with heart diseases were operated in the hospitals of the Republic of Korea.

This was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Soglom Avlod Uchun charity fund, which successfully cooperates with international organizations in implementing projects aimed at protection of motherhood and childhood, UzA reported.

In the framework of the action called Healthy Heart, organized by the Uzbekistan-Korea friendship society jointly with South Korean Junior Chamber International, seven children from Karakalpakstan, Syrdarya region and Tashkent underwent treatment in South Korea.