16 April, 2006
Politics
Uzbek, Russian leaders discuss ties over phone
EurAsEC heads of governments to meet in June in Belarus
People's Democratic Party presents its activity in parliament
Regional representatives of Ombudsman office learn computer basics
Economics
President signs law on protection of information at banking systems
New bureau to expertise investment projects
Amendments, changes introduced to Law "On credit unions"
Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan summed up first quarter results
Kazakh leader orders to take under control vegetable supplies from Uzbekistan
EurAsEC products to have single mark
Uzbek-Chinese venture to produce diesel engines
Trade mission of Poland to visit Uzbekistan on 23–28 April
Society
Council of Culture Ministers of SCO member-states to meet in Tashkent
Uzbek vocalist wins international contest in Moscow
POLITICS
UZBEK, RUSSIAN LEADERS DISCUSS TIES OVER PHONE
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov discussed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin actual issues of Uzbek-Russian cooperation and further strengthening of legal base for bilateral relations.
The leaders of Uzbekistan and Russian held telephone conversation on Friday, on 14 April. The sides expressed satisfaction with intensive contacts in various levels and their practical output for development of ties.
The presidents considered plans of contacts for perspective, the press service of Kremlin said.
EURASEC HEADS OF GOVERNMENTS TO MEET IN JUNE IN BELARUS
Heads of governments of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) will meet in Minks, Belarus, in June 2006, Belarusian Vice-Premiere Andrei Kobyakov said on 14 April after the meeting of EurAsEC integration committee.
He said the preparation to the meeting in underway now.
Eurasian Economic Community units Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it is created to solve economic and financial integration of member-states.
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESENTS ITS ACTIVITY IN PARLIAMENT
Institute on studying civic society hosted a meeting dedicated to activity of People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan in Oliy Majlis (parliament) on 14 April.
Asliddin Rustamov, head of fraction of party in parliament, said the party has over 600,000 members.
The meeting discussed issues on interaction of mass media with the party and current activity of fraction of Legislative Chamber.
The meeting said People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, which announced itself as parliamentarian opposition, protects interests of needy, vulnerable layers of populations. The party takes into account these in development and consideration of new legislative acts.
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES OF OMBUDSMAN OFFICE LEARN COMPUTER BASICS
The First Training Course on computer basics for the representatives of the office of the Ombudsman took place in Tashkent on 14 April.
The Training Course was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan and the Office of the Authorized Person for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Oliy Majlis of Republic of Uzbekistan.
The goal of the training was to enhance capacities of the regional offices of the Ombudsman to better fulfill their mandate through more effective use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools.
UNDP had provided support to the Office of the Authorized Person for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in strengthening its institutional capacities and developing human resources. Under the project "Development of Capacities of the National Human Rights Institutions in Uzbekistan", UNDP will provide ICT equipment for eight regional offices of the Ombudsman that will be used to enhance the work processes of the Ombudsman representatives. The project will also assist the office of Ombudsman in development of the network among the head office and its regional branches; connection to the Internet services and training on e-mail use as well as improvement and maintenance of the web-site of the Ombudsman.
During this training, eight officers of the regional branches of Ombudsman from Republic of Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Namangan, Syrdarya, Andijan, Samarkand, Surhandarya and Kashkadarya regions, and a representative from Tashkent Office of Ombudsman learnt about computer basics and important issues related to computer security, documents maintenance, and software applications. This event would be followed by a series of training courses planned during the year for Ombudsman representatives.
The training is facilitated in cooperation with two other UNDP projects, "Assisting the Government of Uzbekistan in the formulation and implementation of ICT for development policy" and "Capacity Building for Internet Technologies Development and Promotion in Uzbekistan", which provided their expertise, trainers and facilities for this training course.
ECONOMICS
PRESIDENT SIGNS LAW ON PROTECTION OF INFORMATION AT BANKING SYSTEMS
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a Law "On the protection of information in the automated banking system" on 4 April.
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis passed the Law on 27 January 2006 and Senate of Oliy Majlis adopted it on 25 February 2006.
These days no sphere is possible to imagine without computers and information technologies. They are successfully used in the banking system, particularly to increase the range of services, streamline various operations and create conditions for working long-distance with clients and a bank's branches.
An automated banking system stores the idle financial resources of the population and provides guaranteed banking services to economic entities. It ensures the performance of operations within a timeframe convenient to the user. And this in turn strengthens the responsibility of banks before their clients and increases client trust in the banking sector. Thus, starting from 1996, i.e. upon the integration of electronic payments, an information protection system has been functioning in the country.
The law on information protection is aimed at ensuring information security at banks and preventing unauthorised actions such as the erasure or blocking of bank data and copying or falsification thereof. In essence, the law is to become a logical continuation of the Laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the electronic digital signature", "On electronic commerce", "On electronic circulation of documents" and "On electronic transfers".
The approval of the given law will create conditions for free and safe use of electronic information and wider integration of e-commercial services in the conditions of market economy and enable the creation of modern banking technologies against electronic offenders, i.e. the so-called "hackers".
It is necessary to point out another important aspect: if to consider that it is not the first year the automated banking system has been operating in the country then application of a new law will not entail any additional financial expenditures.
The document envisages creation of services on protection of information at the automated banking system under the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and other banks of the country. The services should ensure control of safety of information and protection of data.
NEW BUREAU TO EXPERTISE INVESTMENT PROJECTS
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov issued a resolution on creation of Bureau on expertise of large investment projects under the Cabinet of Ministers on 3 April.
The bureau will expertise investment projects, connected with construction, reconstruction and modernization of enterprises of basic sectors of economy – oil and gas industry, geology, energy, chemistry, metallurgy, machinery, large objects and hydraulic engineering establishments.
Investment projects, included to state programmes, concepts and those projects requiring to adopt decree or resolution of president and the government of Uzbekistan, will undergo expertise in obligatory order.
Projects, which falls to tax and other privileges in accordance of decisions of the president and those realized due to centralized sources of financing or foreign credits attracted under guarantees of the government, should be expertised. The projects, realized under product-sharing agreement, will be also examined.
The bureau develops recommendation for adoption of decision on opportunity of realisation of programmes, concepts and investment projects, which require decree or resolution of the Uzbek president or government.
The recommendations will be developed based on reliability of investment expenses on project, validity of selected technology, level of localisation, competitiveness of products and other criteria.
The bureau will be in full obedience of Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and its head will be simultaneously advisor of prime minister. The bureau's staff will consist of 10 and its running cost will be financed from budget
AMENDMENTS, CHANGES INTRODUCED TO LAW "ON CREDIT UNIONS"
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a Law of Uzbekistan "On amendments and changes to Law of Uzbekistan "On credit unions" on 4 April.
Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis passed the Law on 27 January 2006 and Senate of Oliy Majlis adopted it on 25 February 2006.
The changes and amendments were introduced to various parts and articles of the law. In particular, new law introduced notion of "credit union". The law said credit union is credit organisation, founded by legal entities and individuals based on voluntary and equal membership to issue credits and rendering other financial services.
The article 6 of law said the Central Bank of Uzbekistan inspects reports and other documents of credit unions, receive information on activity of unions, establish order to audit, give obligatory orders to eliminate shortcomings in their activities, suspends financial operations up to six months and bans opening of branches of the same term, as well as suspends and annuls their license.
The law also allows credit unions to carry out leasing operation with their members and creation associations and other unions to coordinate their activity, protect interests and realise joint programmes, create branches in established order.
CABINET OF MINISTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN SUMMED UP FIRST QUARTER RESULTS
A meeting which was held at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on April 15 summed up the results of the economy's performance in the first three months of this year. The meeting analysed the country's economic and social development in the first three months of this year and discussed the implementation of tasks in the priority areas of reforming the economy.
Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presided over the meeting.
Positive changes have been achieved in the implementation of reforms in the priority areas. As compared with the same period last year, GDP rose by 3.6 per cent. Production and services in industry increased by 6.8 per cent, in agriculture by 4.5 per cent, in construction by 3.6, in the transport and communications sector by 7.3 per cent, and in trade and public catering by 6.3 per cent.
This positive process was achieved thanks to an increase in investments and export. There was a budget surplus. The country's trade surplus was USD 387.1mln.
KAZAKH LEADER ORDERS TO TAKE UNDER CONTROL VEGETABLE SUPPLIES FROM UZBEKISTAN
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev ordered to the government to take under control implementation of agreement with Uzbekistan on direct supplies of vegetables to southern regions of the country.
Kazakhstan Today reported that the Kazakh leader gave orders to government and governors for spring period.
Nazarbaev recalled his visit to Uzbekistan and agreement on direct supplies of vegetables to southern regions of Kazakhstan. He ordered government and governors to take under control this work.
EURASEC PRODUCTS TO HAVE SINGLE MARK
A draft of agreement on use of single mark on markets of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) was considered at the 27th session of Integration Committee of organization in Minks, Belarus, on 14 April.
Andrei Kobayakov, Vice Premier of Belarus, said the use of single mark on products, manufactured at EurAsEC member-states, should simplify transportation of goods and their realisation in markets of the community.
The mark will prove that the product meets standards of EurAsEC member states. Kobayakov said the draft of agreement is ready and some issues should be solved. It is expected that this agreement will be signed at the meeting of heads of governments of EurAsEC on 19 May 2006 in Minsk.
Eurasian Economic Community units Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it is created to solve economic and financial integration of member-states.
UZBEK-CHINESE VENTURE TO PRODUCE DIESEL ENGINES
Chinese Greencool Engineering and Uzbek Motorniy Zavod (Engine Plant) will create venture on production of diesel engines.
The sides signed a memorandum of cooperation, which envisages participation of the Chinese part in the project.
Greencool Engineering should develop feasibility study of the project, the cost of which is US$10 million. The project stipulates creation of capacities on manufacture of four- and six- cylinder engines of 100-120 horse-powers.
The venture will produce 5,000 engines annually and 30% of them will go to export.
The terms of venture foundation and basic parameters of project will be determined by the end of 2006 and the project will be implemented in two years.
TRADE MISSION OF POLAND TO VISIT UZBEKISTAN ON 23–28 APRIL
A trade mission of Poland will visit Uzbekistan on 23–28 April 2006. The visit is co-organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.
The trade mission of Poland will be headed by Mr. Zbigniew Roman Stepniewski, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The mission also includes 10 large textile companies of Poland.
The main interests of Polish delegation are establishment of cooperation with textile companies of Uzbekistan which export cotton raw materials and consumables, ready-made textile and silk goods, as well as to explore investment opportunities of the textile industry of Uzbekistan.
SOCIETY
COUNCIL OF CULTURE MINISTERS OF SCO MEMBER-STATES TO MEET IN TASHKENT
The meeting of the Council of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member-states will be held in Tashkent on 27-28 April.
In the framework of the Council meeting, the Culture Ministry of Uzbekistan and the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography of Russia will organize an exhibition entitled "Patchwork of Russia", to be held on 25 April - 2 May at the Central Showroom of the Arts Academy of Uzbekistan. The opening ceremony will be held on 28 April.
UZBEK VOCALIST WINS INTERNATIONAL CONTEST IN MOSCOW
Asmik Arutyunyants, representative of Uzbekistan, won the Fourteenth International Students Contest of Vocalists "Bella voce", which was held in Moscow on 6-12 April.
Arutyunyants, 18, is third-year student of Tashkent Musical College named after Khamza. The victory gives opportunity to her to enter Uzbek State Conservatory without examinations.
The representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan, China and Mongolia participated in the contest.