June 18, 2008

Economics:
Commercial Banks to Enhance Their Market Positions
Economic recovery of insolvent companies discussed
Arbitration Development Center experts visit London to learn foreign experience
Construction of Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline to begin in July 2008
Society:
Tashkent Takes Off Conference on Habeas Corpus
Int. Conference in Tashkent Focuses Environmental Policy
7th annual graduation ceremony of clinicians takes place at UWED
Doctors Discuss Molecular Genetics, Hold Seminar in Tashkent

ECONOMY

COMMERCIAL BANKS TO ENHANCE THEIR MARKET POSITIONS

Banks of Uzbekistan significantly contribute to providing financial support for small businesses and private entrepreneurship, developing farming and enhancing the infrastructure on the ground, Jahon Information Agency reported.

Great variety of services and sustainable activity of affiliates play a significant role in enhancing the market positions of commercial banks. Success story Microcreditbank, which is continuing to expand and enhance the activity of its mini-banks network can serve as an example for that.

“At the moment we have 75 affiliates and 274 mini banks, as well as ten financial agencies on the ground, which render all kinds of banking services to the population,” Ozod Omonov, the head of mini banks department at Microcreditbank said.

According to the news agency, this year only Boysun mini bank of Surkhandarya Province allotted UZS 60 million-worth soft loans to the entrepreneurs to develop their household businesses, clothing manufacture, cattle breeding and other types of small businesses.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY OF INSOLVENT COMPANIES DISCUSSED

Important results achieved through the reforms aimed at further liberalization of the economy help raise the capacity and potential of Uzbekistan. The economic development is largely assisted by the revival of enterprises.

In his report at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the results of the socio-economic development of the country in 2007 and priorities for the intensification of economic reforms in 2008 the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov paid special attention to the issues concerning bankruptcy of companies, noting that complex solution of this problem would assist the improvement of national production.

In this context, the practical implementation of the regulation on bankruptcy – one of the strongest instruments of market economy today – appears especially important. It is intended to effectively assist the economic development of the country, improvement of the competitive environment and reconstruction of productions that have turned out insolvent. Through this type of intensive measures the bankrupt companies are driven out of the crisis, the companies with no prospects are liquidated, and healthy production sector is built in their place.

This was emphasized by the participants of the seminar held at the Economic Court of Tashkent region, UzA reported. It addressed the issues concerning the improvement of the work efficiency on recovery of economically unstable enterprises, and development of tax legislation.

If the regulation on bankruptcy is not applied to the economically unstable enterprises in time, if appropriate measures are not taken on their recovery or liquidation, damage may be caused to the economy of the country. That is why the work in this direction is carefully implemented by the economic courts and civil courts in close cooperation with the prosecutor's offices, departments of justice, state tax agencies, departments for demonopolisation, support of competition and entrepreneurship, as well as regional division of the executive department.

"Last year the regional economic court received over 500 applications on bankruptcy," Deputy Chairman of the Tashkent Regional Economic Court M. Niyazmatov said. "The cases on bankruptcy of enterprises were heard on time, and measures were taken on liquidation of the companies in the worst conditions. Thanks to the efforts of the responsible agencies a healthy property sector has been created on the base of the other companies that had also gone bankrupt, and measures have been taken to attract investors.

"In particular, Zangiota ATS in Zangiota district was declared bankrupt by the regional economic court and a private company, Golib was set up on its base. The company now employs 52 people and demonstrates positive financial performance results."

During the seminar recommendations were made on improving the efficiency of measures on recovery of companies and improvement of their competitiveness.

ARBITRATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER EXPERTS VISIT LONDON TO LEARN FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Specialists of the newly created Arbitration Development Center under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan paid a four-day visit to London to study British experience in development of the arbitration courts and mediation, Uzreport Business Information Portal reported.

During the visit, the delegation of the Arbitration Development Center met representatives of the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, School of International Arbitration, Centre for Commercial Law Studies Queen Mary of the University of London, Dispute Resolutions Services, London Chamber of Commerce, London Court of International Arbitration, Center for Effective Dispute Resolution and Global Arbitration Review magazine.

The visit helped the specialists from Uzbekistan to acquaint with their activities and learn their best practices. The hosts also gave their recommendations on development of the arbitration and mediation in Uzbekistan. It is expected that the new knowledge and skills will be applied within the implementation of various activities of the Arbitration Development Center.

At the meetings, the delegation of Uzbekistan also presented the activities of the Arbitration Development Center and Arbitration Court under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.

Artem Klimenko, deputy chairperson of the arbitration court under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and member of the delegation, said: "The visit was very useful and issues, which we studied in UK, will be used for development of the alternative ways on dispute resolution in Uzbekistan. In particular, the simplified procedures on dispute resolutions in arbitration were interesting for the arbitration court of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. Our staff already has started to develop and introduce similar procedures."

The visit was organized by the joint project of UNDP and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan "Supporting to the development of arbitration courts and other alternative methods of dispute settlement in the Republic of Uzbekistan". The project focuses on development of the arbitration courts and other alternative ways of dispute resolution through creation of Arbitration Development Center, which was officially opened in early May 2008.

CONSTRUCTION OF UZBEKISTAN-CHINA GAS PIPELINE TO BEGIN IN JULY 2008

The construction of Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline with capacity of 30 billion cu m is expected to begin at the beginning of the second half of 2008, Trend Capital quoted the chairman of the Board of Directors of Uzbekneftgaz National Holding Company (NHC) Nurmohammad Ahmadov.

According to the schedule approved by the decree of the Uzbek President, the first line of the gas pipeline and compressor station is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. According to schedule, the first stage will end in January 2010. The second line of the gas pipeline and two more compressor stations are expected to be launched by January 2012, Uzreport Business Information Portal reported.

The project is carried out in line with the inter-government agreement on principles of construction and exploitation of Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline with 525km length. The Uzbek-Chinese Asia Trans Gas JV is the construction client of the project who will realize the project with the help of foreign loans. The Company has to design, construct and further operate this gas pipeline. The co-founders of the joint venture are Uzbekneftgaz National Holding Company and Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 5% share each.

The first welding of the gas pipeline will take place on 1 July 2008. By that time the parties should coordinate finance sources and opening of new financing for the construction of major facilities.

Uzbekneftgaz plans to attract US$1.5 billion till 2010 for the development of export system, gas pipelines and reconstruction of internal main gas pipelines in Uzbekistan. The deputy head of the company Shovkat Majidov said earlier that Uzbekistan will increase the export of natural gas in 2008 up to over 16 billion cu m annually from the previous 14.7 billion cu m.

Some 12 billion cu m of gas will be dispatched to Russia in line with the contract with the Russian Gazprom, the remaining 4 billion cu m – to the neighboring countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. In 2007, some 10.5 billion cu m of gas was dispatched to Russia, 2.8 billion cu m to Kazakhstan and 750 million and 650 million cu m natural gas to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

SOCIETY

TASHKENT TAKES OFF CONFERENCE ON HABEAS CORPUS

International conference on Habeas Corpus as an important guarantee of human rights in the sphere of justice took off in Tashkent. The gathering was held within the framework of events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Jahon Information Agency reported.

Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, Supreme Court, National Center for Human Rights and Germany-based Fredrick Ebert and Conrad Adenauer Funds organized the conference. Deputies of Legislative Chamber and Senate of Uzbekistan, staff-members of the Office of General Prosecutor, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Association of lawyers, as well as the representatives of various international organizations attended the event.

Chairman of Regional Office of Fredrick Ebert Fund V.Lapins and the Judge of Municipal Administrative Court of Hamburg, Germany, K.Khernekamp delivered a speech on Habeas Corpus Institute and its role in human rights protection, as well as the international experience in this sphere.

The participants noted that Uzbekistan effectively implements the experience of Habeas Corpus in meeting the citizens’ interests. They also exchanged the views on ensuring the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens and, above all, protecting them from illegal criminal prosecution and interference in private life.

INT. CONFERENCE IN TASHKENT FOCUSES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

On June 17 this year more than fifty specialists from the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucuses and Central Asia (EECCA) gathered in Tashkent to take part at the annual meeting of Regulatory Environmental Programme Implementation Network (REPIN), Jahon Information Agency quoting the local news agencies reports.

At the moment the EECCA countries are experiencing number of ecological problems, such as air pollution, soil desertification, loss of bio-diversity, and lack of water resources. Moreover, the crisis of Aral Sea is yet another factor that aggravating the ecological problems of Central Asian countries.

Majority of these problems has cross-border nature. Thus, it is especially important for the countries to pursue their own environmental policies while cooperating in this sphere with other players at both regional and national levels. Tashkent meeting is aimed to exchange the views and establish relations with partners on various aspects of environmental policy, as well as discuss the issues of funding this sphere.

The delegates noted that coordination of activity in dealing with the environmental issues is vital for Uzbekistan. The three-day international forum also includes a seminar, which will assess the works undertaken by EECCA countries to reform the indicators of regulatory and enforcement activities.

7TH ANNUAL GRADUATION CEREMONY OF CLINICIANS TAKES PLACE AT UWED

The Legal Clinic under the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) held the seventh annual ceremony of graduation of clinicians on June 14.

This year, about 31 clinicians graduated the Legal Clinic. During the ceremony, the results of the activities of clinicians for 2006-2008 were presented and they received the certificates of graduating clinicians of the Legal Clinic.

Summing up the work with graduating-clinicians, it can be noted that the clinicians researched legislation, the theory of civil law/process, gained skills of scientific research, which are needed for professional lawyers.

This group of graduates as previous one gained not only theoretical, but also practical skills, namely: ability to carry out negotiations, defend interests and rights in courts, acquirement of legal technique, analytical skills and use the legislation in real, concrete situations.

This group also learnt to conduct trainings on legal issues in order to raise awareness of vulnerable population.

Graduating clinician Farhod Aminjonov said: "The Legal Clinic was crucial for me to develop my professional skills, which will be needed to become lawyer. The work with people helped me to listen them and hear what they feel."

Tamila Tagieva underlined: "The Legal Clinic joined students to solve problems of people. We worked with vulnerable groups of people and it gave us a real and vital practice. We saw how we should work with people to help them to solve their problems and we familiarized with the real mechanisms of legal protection."

This event was organized within the UNDP project "Legal Aid and Legal Literacy for Better Access to Justice". The project is directed at improving access to justice for people who cannot afford or have limited access to legal services, including women, children, the poor, the elderly and people with disabilities and increasing quality of legal services through training of law students.

DOCTORS DISCUSS MOLECULAR GENETICS, HOLD SEMINAR IN TASHKENT

Development of molecular genetics was at the top of the agenda of a seminar at the Scientific and Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion of the Ministry of Healthcare of Uzbekistan. Scientists and doctors from Uzbekistan and Russia are reported to have participated at the gathering, according to the report of Jahon Information Agency.

Delegates noted that active implementation of achievements of molecular genetics to the healthcare system allows health professionals to use modern technologies for early diagnosing the grave and hereditary diseases, enhancing mother and child screening system, as well as developing stem cells transplantation.

Modern technologies are effectively used in healthcare system of Uzbekistan as well. For instance laboratory of medical molecular genetics at the Scientific and Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion is undertaking very important researches in this sphere. This laboratory is equipped with latest technologies and the only of its kind in Central Asia.

The seminar has also thoroughly discussed the issues of perinatal diagnosis of hereditary diseases, stem cells researches, outcomes of active scientific projects on new methods of treatment.