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INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 28

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INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 28

February 8, 2017

ECONOMY
By 2020, Uzbekistan intends to switch to the full processing of cotton fiber harvested in the country

SOCIETY
Comprehensive Strategy for the Near Future

REFORMS: EDUCATION
Technoparks are projected to be set up under the universities in Uzbekistan

ECONOMY

By 2020, Uzbekistan intends to switch to the full processing of cotton fiber harvested in the country
These objectives are envisaged in the program of measures for the further development of the textile, garment and knitwear industry in the years 2017-2019, approved by the head of state.
In 1991, the volume of cotton fiber processing in Uzbekistan was no more than 7%, the figure reached 40% in 2016. Today the enterprises of the sector export textile products to more than 50 countries. In recent years, export supplies were launched to Brazil, Nigeria, Croatia, Chile and other countries.
“The program provides for the transition by 2020 to complete processing of cotton fiber harvested in our country, increase industrial production more than 2.7 times, the supply of products to the domestic and foreign markets. This will create the reflection of a competitive domestic textile industry and confidently enter the world trading floors,” said Sanjar Tukhtayev, deputy head of department at Uzbekyengilsanoat.
Analysis shows that the yarn accounts now for almost 50% of exports. Priority is boosting the exports of products with higher added value due to the gradual reduction of yarn exports. Currently, the share of finished products in the total production is 47%, in the future it is planned to increase this figure to 65.5%, enhance the share of ready-made goods in the structure of exports from 41 to 70%.
As part of the program, in the 2017-2020 period, more than $ 2.2 billion of investments will be attracted to the sector, almost half of them foreign. This will help set up special textile complexes, acting on the basis of the four-stage system that includes all procedures from processing to production of finished products, as well as more than 27 thousand new jobs. It is also planned to organize 120 new and upgrade more than 10 existing enterprises.
One of the key features of the program is the development and introduction of new industry standards for design and construction of textile enterprises on the basis of foreign experience. These norms will ensure lower costs for construction and assembly works and the preferential use of local-origin building materials.
Another important point: the validity of the tax and customs incentives provided to encourage the processing of raw cotton has been extended till 1 January 2020.
Experts estimate that by 2020, cotton yarn will be fully processed at domestic enterprises. As a result, significant reduction will be achieved in exports of textile semi-finished and finished products and 2.1 times growth in exports.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

SOCIETY

Comprehensive Strategy for the Near Future
The five-day Media Week to discuss the draft Action Strategy for Five Priority Areas in Uzbekistan for 2017-2021, initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has wrapped up in Tashkent.
Nation Building: Objectives and Prospects
The draft Action Strategy clearly defines the most relevant tasks on streamlining the state building and judicial system, economic liberalization and development of the social sector, consolidation of international and interethnic friendship and harmony. These are the five priority areas for Uzbekistan for the next five years.
After the opening ceremony, the work of the media forum began with a presentation and discussion of the first priority of the Action Strategy, which comes to streamlining of state and social construction. It was delivered by the speaker of the presentation, Minister of Justice Muzraf Ikramov, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee of Oliy Majlis Ilhom Abdullayev, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee Tolibjon Madumarov and others. They emphasized that the priority is aimed at further strengthening the role of the parliament in the government system, reformation of state administration through its decentralization, reduction of state regulation of the economy, improvement of public management system and boosting the role of civil society institutions and the media.
“Legislative work will be of special importance in this process: there is a need to develop and approve the Law ‘On public control’, ‘On regulatory acts’, introduce amendments and addenda to the laws ‘On social partnership’, ‘On mass media’, and others,” said Ilhom Abdullayev. “They will contribute to the development of modern ways of public scrutiny, and make social partnership more effective. The new regulations will provide for steady and gradual development of civil society institutions, catalyzing their social and political activity.”
Main thrusts of reforming the public administration will focus on optimization of the e-government system, raising effectiveness and improvement of quality and affordability of public services for the population and businesses. About a dozen of projects are aimed at the improvement of e-government services, meanwhile contributing to the development of existing information systems in the notary, tax and other services.
The introduction of effective mechanisms of dialogue with the people would be the core of reforms in this direction. Much attention will be paid to the improvement of performance of people’s reception offices.
Ensuring the rule of law
During the presentation of the second line of the Action Strategy, which aims at ensuring the rule of law and further reformation of the judicial system, experts drew a full picture of measures on ensuring the independence of the judiciary, reliable protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens, intensification of first against crime, and other aspects.
For example, the crime combating system in Uzbekistan will develop in four directions in the next five years, with enhancement of effectiveness of the fight against crime and crime prevention as key pillars. It is planned to approve a specific program on improving the performance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its territorial divisions.
A plan of countering extremism, terrorism and criminal offenses will become a guide to action. Streamlining of organizational and legal mechanisms for combating corruption and enhancement of effectiveness of anti-corruption measures is regarded as an independent direction. There are plans to adopt several regulations that would intensify the work in this direction.
Improvement of the legal culture and legal awareness of the population, organization of effective interaction between state structures, civil society institutions and the media is separated as an independent thrust.
Development and liberalization of economy
Development and liberalization of the economy - another direction of the Action Strategy - involves enhancement of its competitiveness and openness, freedom of economic activity, macroeconomic stability and preservation of economic growth, fundamental reformation of the financial and banking sector, all-round protection of private property and entrepreneurship, effective development of tourism, structural reforms in agriculture.
Among main objectives, experts accentuated the integrated work on cooperation with international partners, channeling of foreign investments, scale up of rating of Uzbek companies, with the focus on the development and support of agriculture.
The Plan assigns a big part to the upgrade of industry by bringing it to a new level with advanced development of high-tech manufacturing industries that are primarily engaged in the production of finished products with high added value on the basis of enhanced processing of local raw materials.
It is envisaged to cut energy consumption and resource intensity of the economy, broadly introduce energy saving technologies, expand the application of renewable energy sources, increase productivity in all sectors.
The Action Strategy empowers the measures on ensuring the government budget balance at all levels and maintaining social focus of expenditures, streamlining of the inter-budgetary relations that are aimed at strengthening the revenue part of local budgets.
A broad range of measures are aimed at further improvement of the monetary policy in accordance with best international practices, as well as at ensuring stability of the national currency and prices in the domestic market. Innovative market-based mechanisms of currency regulation, formation of the national currency, will gradually be introduced to ensure its free convertibility.
The policy of cutting tax burden and simplification the tax system, improvement of tax administration and expansion of incentives will be continued.
Enhancement of reformation and stability of the banking system, capitalization level and deposit base of banks, strengthening of their financial stability and reliability, further expansion of crediting promising investment projects, as well as small businesses and private enterprises will remain priorities for the next five years.
Experts predict an increase in insurance, leasing and other financial services through the introduction of new kinds of services and improvement of their quality, as well as the development of the stock market as an alternative source of capital attraction and placement of available resources of enterprises, financial institutions and the population.
There are plans to create new and enhance effectiveness of existing free economic zones, industrial parks, small industrial zones.
Experts pointed out to the intension of Uzbekistan to scale up international economic cooperation, namely, expand ties with the forefront international financial institutions, pursue a balanced policy of foreign borrowing, efficiently use foreign investments and loans.
The discussion aroused many questions. Some of them related to the operation of plastic cards, improvement of foreign exchange for individuals, the increase of cash reserves.
Priorities for social sector
The fourth day of the media forum was particularly interesting for the participants, as it spotlighted priority directions for the social sector.
The speakers highlighted such issues as increase of real incomes of the population, the size of public sector wages, pensions, stipends and social allowances in advance of inflation, improvement of education and health care, the state youth policy.
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Economy Dilmurod Turdiyev, provided the general outlook on the development of social sector, dwelled upon on the implementation of targeted programs on the construction of affordable housing, development and modernization of road transport, engineering, communications and social infrastructure, which, in turn, provide better living conditions. He mentioned the currently developing project on uninterrupted supply of electricity and gas to remote rural areas.
The draft Action Strategy envisages the further improvement of living conditions of the population, especially young families, residents of dilapidated houses, and other categories of citizens who need better housing conditions, through the provision of preferential mortgage loans and construction of affordable housing in urban and rural areas. It was proposed to renew the architectural appearance of standard design houses that have already been built in the regions, to diversify the overall appearance and facade.
The document pays particular attention to the issues of employment, especially young people. As noted by the representative of the Ministry of Labor B. Alimuhammedov in his speech, nearly million jobs is annually created in Uzbekistan in accordance with the employment program, approved by the Oliy Majlis. Meanwhile, the existing problems entail the need for search and implementation of new approaches.
Deputy Minister of Health Elmira Basitkhanova presented the profile of priority measures on the improvement of health care system. She pointed out to a vital need to reform this sector, since, despite a strong legal framework, which is aimed at ensuring the provision of quality health care to citizens, the mechanism of performance remains weak. The list of problems includes insufficient patronage in women, pregnant women, an acute shortage of medical personnel, including neonatologists, surgeons, adolescent gynecologists in regions.
The event touched upon the issues of further improvement of the system of continuous education, expanded access to quality educational services, training of qualified staff in accordance with modern requirements, creation of conditions for that.
In the next five years, it is planned to build 50 new state preschool educational institutions, reconstruct and overhaul about 2,200 existing preschools.
This direction caused a storm of questions and suggestions from those who were present in the International Hotel Tashkent, the venue of the Media Week, and by the Internet.
Will pensioners travel for free? Why are buildings commissioned while inaccessible for wheelchair users? Have experts considered the possibility for a 100% pension for working pensioners?
Experts gave detailed answers to the questions. It was said that no issue, no proposal remains neglected. They noted that a resolution on free travel for pensioners and full pension for working pensioners is currently under consideration. The question from persons with disabilities that most of the buildings are not provided with ramps looked sensible. The speakers said that the problem is highly relevant, and that it will soon be resolved in accordance with the Action Strategy, which envisages mandatory social guarantees for the population, strengthening of social protection of vulnerable strata, and other issues.
Along the path of sustainable development
The last, the fifth day of the media forum was very eventful. The presentation of the Action Strategy’s fifth area on ensuring safety, religious tolerance and inter-ethnic harmony, as well as pursuance of a balanced and constructive foreign policy was the central event.
As noted by speakers of the event, the ongoing related measures are aimed at strengthening the independence and sovereignty of the state, creation of a security belt around Uzbekistan, ensuring stability and good neighborly relations, promotion of a positive image of the country abroad.
Speaking on the priorities in this field, the experts emphasized that Uzbekistan is committed to friendly relations with the international community, and particularly with its closest neighbors - Central Asian states. Building the dialogue on mutual interests promotes cooperation in various fields.
Uzbekistan remains committed to the principles of non-alignment to military-political blocs, will not allow the deployment of military bases and facilities of other states on its territory, as well as the stay of our troops outside the republic. Foreign policy will be primarily based on national interests.
Being the most densely populated and multi-ethnic country in Central Asia, Uzbekistan maintains inter-religious and inter-ethnic harmony. The principles of equality go through all laws of the country, primarily the Constitution. 137 cultural centers and 16 religious confessions function across the country today.
The presentation was followed by a round-table discussion of the draft Action Strategy by representatives of ministries and agencies, diplomatic corps and international organizations.
As emphasized at the discussion, developed at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the draft Action Strategy will contribute to the growth of economic potential of Uzbekistan, improve people’s welfare, and scale up the country’s prestige in the international arena.
The participants pointed out to the atmosphere of interethnic consent, friendship and mutual respect in our country. Successive reforms have been pushing the dynamic development of national economy, international cooperation. Joint projects produce good outcomes.
Foreign experts and representatives of international organizations highly commended the Draft Action Strategy for consistent implementation of scaled reforms on the basis of liberalization and modernization of all sectors, further enhancement of effectiveness of the measures taken, efforts on bringing the development of the state and society to a new level. They also mentioned the public discussion of the important policy document, as lively exemplified by the Media Week.
The final press conference underscored the results of the intense and eventful Week. In five days, the Media Forum was attended by more than a thousand people, including over 50 experts - representatives of ministries and departments.
The event was covered by more than 400 media workers of print media, TV and radio channels, news agencies and online outlets, as well as representatives of the foreign press accredited in Uzbekistan.
More than 50 representatives of regional crews produced and broadcasted more than 50 information products of different formats. They produced five original talk shows on each area of action of the draft Strategy. More than 60 news sites have published about 160 stories about the event.
During the discussion, the experts received more than 150 questions and proposals on the draft Action Strategy.
As noted by the forum participants, its main organizer - the National Association of Electronic Mass Media - was the driving force for the nationwide discussion of the draft Action Strategy in the country.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

REFORMS: EDUCATION

Technoparks are projected to be set up under the universities in Uzbekistan
By the end of the year a comprehensive program for the advancement of the integration of science and education will be approved in the country.
The development team includes specialists from the ministries of Economy, Finance, Higher and Secondary Special Education, the Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology, the Academy of Sciences and the Higher Attestation Commission.
It is planned that the program will be approved by the Presidential Decree.
The basis of the program contains a set of measures for the elaboration of innovation infrastructure in universities. Priority will be attached to the development of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, food processing, electronics, robotics, metallurgy, nanotechnology.
At the same time great significance will be placed on the implementation of scientific development, as well as the improvement of copyright protection mechanisms.
To date, for the integration of education and science there were created innovative groups with the participation of leading representatives of the teaching staff, production specialists and young people interested in science. Studies conducted by many of these groups are supported by the State Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology, and funded through government research grants. However, further development of science in higher education requires equipping of university laboratories with modern equipment and further stimulation the work of scientists.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

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