INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 74

April 17, 2017

POLITICS
On 14 April President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Samarkand region

OFFICIALLY
Uzbekistan: MFERIT reorganized into Ministry of foreign trade

INVESTMENTS
Export Capacity light industry of Uzbekistan

BUSINESS CLIMATE
Uzbekistan: A Step Toward Online Licensing

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Meeting with Head of French MFA

Delegation of Uzbekistan attended consultations on Afghanistan

SOCIETY
Strong legal basis of eradication of corrupt practices

SPORT
Uzbekistan: Toward New Victories

POLITICS

On 14 April President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Samarkand region
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Samarkand region to review creative and beautification works, implementation pace of social-economic reforms in the region, for a dialogue with people.
Samarkand region has an important place in the economic, social and cultural life of our country due to its developed industry and agriculture, rich natural resources, a huge tourist potential.
Tens of types of vehicles are manufactured at the Samarkand automobile plant, JV Man Auto Uzbekistan, equipped in line with the advanced world standards. British-American Tobacco, Sam Antep Gilam, UrgGazKarpet, Amin Invest, Daka Tex, Agromir Samarkand, Sino JSC, Samarkandkimyo JSC, Sharq sanoati concern and other large industrial companies contribute to the development of region’s economy.
19 more joint ventures were founded in 2016, while their total number reached 263. The external trade turnover of the region constituted 1 billion 195 million US dollars. Last year the volume of exports increased by 1,5 times compared to 2015.
These dynamics may also be seen in the social-economic development of Samarkand. In 2016 the gross regional product increased by 8,7 per cent.
Samarkand residents, since ancient times known as skilful masters and enterprising people, achieve large results in the sphere of small business and private entrepreneurship. In 2016, 2838 multi-functional farming units were established, 9079 ha intensive orchards and 1000 ha wineries were planted. 11349 new jobs have been created in this sphere.
33 per cent of vegetables, 38 per cent of fruits, 34 per cent of milk, 27 per cent of meat, produced in the region, is processed by local enterprises. These growth rates are reflected in the increasing quality and level of life of people, appearance of cities and villages of the region.
Tourism is one of the main spheres of the economy of Samarkand region. Systemic works on efficient use of tourist resources, increasing the types and quality of travel services are currently underway in the region. Thanks to opportunities and conditions, created by the state, nowadays over one hundred hotels and over 80 travel firms operate in Samarkand. Their material-technical base is strengthening, the opportunities to provide high-quality services in line with contemporary requirements are widening.
New tourist directions are opened in order to develop environmental, recreational and agricultural tourism, supporting internal tourism.
In his pre-election meetings with the voters, Shavkat Mirziyoyev had laid out large plans and goals on consistent development of the works in this regard, comprehensive development of the region, ensuring the interests of the population. The visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev includes reviewing implementation of these plans and prospective projects.
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President of our country Shavkat Mirziyoyev has started his tour to Samarkand region with a visit to the last resting place of First President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
Qur’an verses were recited in memory of Islam Karimov.
In accordance with the resolution of the Head of our state “On perpetuating the memory of First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Abduganievich Karimov” on 25 January 2017, consistent works are being carried out in this regard. A memorial complex is to be built at the burial place of Islam Karimov in Samarkand.
The design of the mausoleum shows that it will be lined with decorated granite and marble slabs, Qur’an verses will be inscripted. Verandas will be built for visitors, and elevators for the elderly.
The Head of our state reviewed the mausoleum design, gave recommendation on its improvement, increasing conveniences for visitors. The President underlined the need to decrease the height of the steps, widening and beautification of the area around the complex, equipping with modern night lighting system.
Islam Karimov is a great individual, who laid the foundations of our independence, well-being of pour people, who triggered rebirth of our spirituality, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. The complex should reflect the greatness, purity of ideas and beliefs of our First President, his interesting life, devoted service to his country and people. Through this complex we will express our love and esteem to Islam Karimov.
The Head of our state underscored that the mausoleum of the First President of our country should constitute a harmonious architectural ensemble with the Khazrati Khizr mosque. He gave instructions on building high verandas for visitor and creating conveniences for official delegations.
This complex should become the abode of high spirituality, science and enlightenment, since it has a high educational value. The verses from Qur’an should always be quietly heard, and the wise sayings of Islam Karimov should be written along with the Qur’an verses on the walls of the mausoleum. Visitors and pilgrims should receive here a charge of spiritual energy.
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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is getting acquainted with creative works, the reforms processes under implementation in Samarkand region.
The Head of our state visited «Galla Osiyo non» LLC in Jomboy district, where a presentation of large projects, to be implemented in the region in the near future, was held.
Information on the project of growing intensive seedlings in the «Sharq sanoat» concern was presented to the President of Uzbekistan. Specialists from Poland talked about the significance and advantages of this modern technology. Seedlings, grown on this method, are distinctive in their resistance to diseases and early maturity.
Instructions were given to organize a new centre on growing potatoes in Samarkand and its interregional branches. The President underscored the need to open laboratories of this sphere in the regions.
A presentation of “Tokhir” LLC, to be founded in Bulungur district, was also held. Effective works on stable year-round supply of vegetables, potatoes, fruits and melons, increasing the exports of demanded and competitive fresh and processed fruits and vegetable products in foreign markets are carried out in our country.
The demand for agricultural products, grown in our country, is high in the world markets. Specialists of the new company, having studied comprehensively the demand and supply in this regard, plan to commission the facilities in the third quarter of this year.
The company, located on 11 ha, will process 12 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables annually.
The next three projects, presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, will specialise in sorting, processing and packaging fruit and vegetable products at «Samarkand garden plast» LLC in Bulungur district, «Green agro export» in Jomboy district, as well as “Marokand meva-sabzavot” farming unit.
President of our country was provided with detailed information about the projects with an accent on creation of new jobs, export volumes, costs to be incurred by the project initiators, loans from banks and equipment.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave necessary recommendations on further improving the projects.
He also reviewed the project on manufacturing soy protein isolate by the «Yunusjon ahli» family enterprise in Oqdaryo district. The enterprise with a capacity of processing 26 tons of soy annually will be equipped with modern technologies of Chinese companies. The enterprise, to be commissioned in December this year, will produce soy oil, soy flour, protein isolate.
The President of our country took an interest in new workplaces, to be created. It was highlighted that the enterprise will employ 80 people.
Every new job is important for us. We are ready to thank each businessperson, who employed even two people, Shavkat Mirziyoyev remarked, as employment of people will serve as a foundation of the well-being of their family, increasing their confidence in the future and trust to the state.
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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has visited the Imam Bukhari memorial complex.
At the opening ceremony of the 43rd session of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the capital city Tashkent on 18 October 2016, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev put forward an initiative for the construction of an international scientific research centre at the Imam Bukhari memorial complex to study the rich heritage of Uzbek people’s great ancestors.
They had made an incomparable contribution to the development of Islamic culture and world civilization.
The President considered this scientific research centre construction project.
This research centre will be engaging in studying the precious scholarly and moral heritage of Imam Bukhari and other great thinkers, publishing scholarly interpretations of their works, collecting electronic copies of manuscripts being kept in libraries and achives in this country and abroad and making them available for people in Uzbekistan and the international community.
Land has been allocated near the Imam Bukhari memorial complex, and the research centre’s construction project has been drawn up.
The President gave special attention to the essence and significance of this international research centre. It was said that there was a need to work out a comprehensive approach to the promotion of Islamic culture at this establishment.
There is a unique moral-spiritual atmosphere at the Imam Bukhari memorial site, the Head of State said.
Those who come to visit this memorial complex should also enter this research centre and study teachings of Uzbek people’s forefathers. Then this feeling of pride in their hearts will grow.
It was also said that there was a need to study separately the rich heritages of great muhaddiths (hadith experts), Imam Bukhari, Imam Termizi; great law experts, Burhaniddin Marghiloni, Abdullays Samarqandi; and Koranic experts Abu Mansur al Moturidi and Abdul Muin Nasafi and to train good specialists with thorough knowledge about this sphere.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a conversation with scholars that leading scholars of this country should provide researchers at this centre with training in Arabic calligraphy and in proper pronunciation and intonation in reading aloud Koranic suras.
At the meeting, it was also said that there was a need to restore the former glory of the Mir Arab madrasah in Bukhara. Instructions were given to repair its building and provide it with modern technological equipment.
Within the grounds of the Hazrati Imam complex in the capital city, an Islamic development centre will be created, the Head of State said. There too, like the Imam Bukhari international research centre, specific examples should be cited to make it clear that Uzbek people’s great forefathers had made an incomparable contribution to Islamic education.
Information was also given about a project of reconstruction of trading and services facilities around the Imam Bukhari memorial complex. This will create additional conveniences for pilgrims and is of great significance to the further development of the area’s infrastructure.
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As part of a tour of Samaqand Region, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Qoshrabot District. At a meeting held in the village of Oqtepa, there was a presentation of projecs to create walnut tree plantations and vineyards in 2017-2018 in hilly upland areas, to arrange stock raising in 2017-2021 and to improve the provision of drinking water for inhabitants of the district.
In order to ensure the implementation of a resolution dated 4 March 2017 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on additional measures for effective use of homesteads by people and farm labourers and for the expansion of fruit tree plantations, 4211 farms will be created in hilly upland areas in Jomboy, Ishtihon, Kattaqorghon, Pastdargom, Payariq, Samarqand, Urgut and Qoshrabot districts of Samarqand Region in the years 2017-2018. It is envisaged that walnut tree plantations will be created in 5,700 hectares and vineyards in 13,000 hectares of land.
In the year 2017 alone, walnut tree plantations will be created in 2,500 hectares, of which intensive plantations in 2,100 hectares, and vineyards in 6,600 hectares, of which intensive vineyards in 1,300 hectares.
Into the implementation of these projects, 271 billion soms and 8.4 million dollars will be channelled. This will make it possible to export additional 15,000 tonnes of walnuts and 50,000 tonnes of grapes a year. In 2017-2018, more than 26 thousand new jobs will be created.
Such a walnut tree plantation will be created in the “Oqtepa unumdor zamin” farm. The country’s President together with honourable elders planted a walnut tree here.
The Head of State said that as all the other regions of the country, Samarqand also has quite a lot of untapped possibilities. With the use of these possibilities additional incomes can be made, and people’s prosperity can be raised even further. For this, it is necessary to act purposefully and make people more interested in entrepreneurial activity and the rational use of their homesteads.
Another big project is the keeping of 10,000 goats and 5,000 sheep in farms and farm labourers’ personal homesteads in Qoshrabot District in 2017-2021. This 7.7 billon som project envisages the purchase of 10,000 pedigree goats from Russia, and 5,000 hisor sheep in Surkhondaryo, Qashqadaryo, Navoiy and Tashkent Regions.
In accordance with a resolution dated 18 December 2015 of the country’s First President, in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, a 36.4 million dollar project to improve the provision of drinking water for Qoshrabot District will be implemented in the years 2017-2018.
Under this project, 49 water-intake installations will be built in 77 areas of village citizens’ gatherings, and 408.1 km of main water pipes and pipeline networks will be laid. Moreover, 14 pump stations will be constructed.
The Head of State noted the need to grow fruit trees in Qoshrabot and to export fruits, to develop the district’s stock raising sector and to allocate credits for locals to do this work.
(Source: UzA)

OFFICIALLY

Uzbekistan: MFERIT reorganized into Ministry of foreign trade
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a decree, according to which the Ministry of foreign economic relations, investments and trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan is reorganised into the Ministry of foreign trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
According to the document, the Ministry of foreign trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the government body responsible for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of foreign trade, it coordinates the work of state administration bodies in the field of regulation of foreign trade activities.
The decisions of the Ministry of foreign trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted within its powers are obligatory for execution by bodies of state and economic management, state authorities and local governance, economic entities irrespective of the form of ownership and subordination.
(Source: UzReport.uz)

INVESTMENTS

Export Capacity light industry of Uzbekistan
132 new investment projects in light industry, totaling over $2.2 billion, are scheduled for implementation in Uzbekistan over the next three years.
“Over half of the projects will be financed through foreign investments and loans. For example, it is planned to establish 112 cutting-edge and high-tech industries, expand, upgrade and re-equip 20 operating enterprises. We expect that the projects will scale up export capacity of the industry to $2.5 billion per year, and create 25,000 additional jobs,” Uzbekyengilsanoat reported.
Last year’s projects in the light industry totaled $123 million. Uzbekyengilsanoat increased its export capacity by $53.3 million through the commissioning of new capacities, and establishing 3,165 new jobs.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

BUSINESS CLIMATE

Uzbekistan: A Step Toward Online Licensing
The launch of an information systems complex ‘License’, which is called to provide interactive services in licensing and permit procedures for entrepreneurs, is scheduled for January 2018.
The ‘License’ system will provide citizens and organizations with information about licensed types of activities and licensing procedures, the procedure of their processing, on licenses and permits issued, the terms of their validity and current status.
“The system will provide an opportunity of applying for registration of licenses and permits in electronic form. It would also step up labor efficiency of the organizations that maintain license and permit registers,” the Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications reported.
Experts anticipate that the information systems complex ‘License’ will enhance the effectiveness of interaction of licensing bodies with business entities by ensuring the openness of information on licensing of certain types of activities.
The e-licensing portal was launched in December 2016, and currently operates in a test mode. About 600 applications have already been submitted to the system by the staff of ministries and departments, half of which have been processed and registered in a roster along with over 41,000 licenses and permits.
Today, the portal provides information on the document package required for licenses or permits, their terms and costs for 40 types of activities. They cover transport, customs, architecture and construction bank, culture, publishing, advertising, trade, healthcare, and other sectors.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Meeting with Head of French MFA
On April 15, 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of the French Republic Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is in Uzbekistan on an official visit.
As a continuation of the bilateral negotiations, which were conducted on March 29, 2017 in Paris, the ministers discussed topical aspects of the Uzbek-French relations in political, trade and economic, investments, culture and humanitarian and other spheres, exchanged views on regional and international agenda.
As has been mentioned, the inter-ministerial Program of cooperation for 2017-2018 makes it possible to develop and strengthen multidimensional cooperation between Uzbekistan and France on a systematic basis.
The ministers paid special attention to the prospects of widening collaboration in the context of implementing the tasks defined in the Action Strategy on five priority directions on development of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021. In particular, the parties expressed interest on successful results of the visit of representatives of business circles under the auspices of the Movement of French Enterprises “MEDEF International” in June to Uzbekistan.
The sides also considered other issues of mutual interest.
The Ambassador of France Violaine de Villemeur attended the meeting.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

Delegation of Uzbekistan attended consultations on Afghanistan
On April 14, 2017, a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan attended an expanded meeting on Afghanistan that was held in Moscow.
During the multilateral consultations, representatives of foreign political bodies of Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Central Asian countries exchanged views on prospects of settlement of the situation in Afghanistan.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

SOCIETY

Strong legal basis of eradication of corrupt practices
The head of our state Shavkat Mirziyoev pays special attention to a wider consolidation in our life of justice which our people from time immemorial appreciate above all.
The president of our country has especially noted that drastic measures should be taken to countercheck and prevent corruption , various crimes and offenses in our society, to provide in practice the principle of inevitability of punishment for a crime
Adoption of law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "About anti-corruption", which came into force on January 4, 2017, became an important step in this direction.
This law adopted at the initiative of the head of our state has created an important legal basis for regulation of legal relationship in the field of anti-corruption. It will promote improving the efficiency of the anti-corruption measures implemented by public authorities, organizations and institutions of civil society, prevention of corruption in all spheres of social life, creation of intolerable situation in the society to all of its manifestations through raising the legal awareness and legal culture of citizens.
The law consisting of 34 articles stipulates the concepts related to corruption. Corruption is illegal use by the Corruption is illegal use by an individual of its official position for the purpose of obtaining material or non-material benefit in personal interests or for benefits of other persons, and equally illegal granting such benefit. According to the law, the basic principles of anti-corruption are legality, priority of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens, openness and transparency, systematicity, interaction of the state and civil society, priority of corruption preventive measures, inevitability of responsibility.
The main directions of state policy in the field of anti-corruption are improving legal consciousness and legal culture of the population, formation of intolerance toward corruption in the society, implementation of measures for the prevention of corruption in all spheres of activity of the state and society, and also timely identification, suppression of corruption offenses, elimination of their consequences, as well as the causes and conditions that contribute to them, ensuring the principle of inevitability of responsibility for such offenses.
The law expands the system of anti-corruption bodies. The Prosecutor General’s Office, Service of national security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, Department on Fighting Tax, Currency Crimes and Legalization of Criminal income at the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan are the public authorities which are directly carrying out anti-corruption activity. Anti-corruption activity is also carried out by other public authorities according to the legislation.
The law concretizes the power of the specified organs. For example, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan within the powers participates in development and implementation of the state and other programs in the field. It exercises supervision of exact and uniform enforcement of the legislation on anti-corruption. It coordinates activity of the organs which are carrying out operational search activity, inquiry, preliminary investigation, and also prevention of offenses in the field of anti-corruption. It carries out preliminary investigation of corruption related crimes.
The law even more improves the related activity of the public authorities and their structures responsible for fight against corruption. To improve efficiency of this work, the law provides creation of the interdepartmental commissions on anti-corruption. The republican interdepartmental commission on anti-corruption will coordinate activity of the bodies and organizations which carry out anti-corruption and participate in such activity. The order of formation and activity of the commission is defined by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Territorial interdepartmental commissions on anti-corruption are created in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, areas and the city of Tashkent in the order established by the legislation.
The interdepartmental commission along with coordination of activity in the field will also organize development of state anti-corruption programs, and development and implementation of measures for raising legal awareness and legal culture of the population.
One of remarkable features of the law is the mechanism of participation of self-government institutions of citizens, non-state non-profit organizations and citizens in anti-corruption. These institutions take a special place in the organization of public control and the enforcement of justice in society. Their participation in anti-corruption which affects negatively development of society will promote efiiciency in this direction. Measures for the corruption prevention relate to spheres of public administration, social and economic development and business, as well as administrative procedures, implementation of government procurement, prevention and settlement of the conflicts of interests, anti-corruption examination of normative legal acts and their projects.
It should be noted that the law strengthens considerably protection of the rights and interests of the business which plays an important role in economy of our country. Measures for elimination of administrative and bureaucratic barriers, simplification and increase in efficiency of registration and licensing procedures are defined. Optimization of control and supervising functions of public authorities, improvement of system of control of business activity, prevention of illegal intervention in their activity is provided. These measures will assist in creation of even more favorable business environment in our country, strengthening interest in business.
Definition of norms on identification, suppression of corruption offenses, inevitability of responsibility is an important achievement of the law. The law has defined use of modern forms and methods of fight against corruption offenses. Appeals of natural and legal entities on the facts of such offenses will be considered completely, objectively and in due time. Protection of the persons giving information on corruption offenses will be provided.
According to article 26 of the law, employees of public authorities are obliged to inform their administration or law enforcement agencies about any persons appealing them in order to induce to commission of corruption offenses, as well as about any facts of the similar offenses committed by other employees of public authorities they are aware of. Non-performance by employees of public authorities of this duty is punishable according to the legislation.
The persons who have committed a corruption offense can by a court decision be deprived of certain rights, including the right to hold certain positions according to the law. Measures of responsibility for commission of corruption offenses are applied to legal entities in the order established by the law. In general the new law not only strengthens anti-corruption mechanisms, but also requires on the part of each head, each citizen to perform the work honestly and in good faith. It will promote further strengthening of social and political stability in our country.
(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)

SPORT

Uzbekistan: Toward New Victories
The unprecedented and stunning success of the Uzbek national team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where our athletes won 13 medals for the first time ever, have become a starting point for much more dynamic and scaled development of this field.
The decisions made by the country’s leadership in this direction have been in the spotlight of the general public. What are the current trends in the development of one of the most important areas in our life?
CONCLUSIONS MADE
13 medals at the Olympics is good. However, as noted by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the outcomes of 2016 and prospects for 2017, all the medals were won only in three kinds of sports, and most of them in boxing. “What is the contribution of other sports?” he asked. The statement of the question is fair and timely.
The fact that the republic can be strong not only in boxing, is proved by the performance of our athletes in other competitions. In particular, the program of the 2020 Olympic Games has included karate. Thus, the successful performance of our karate athlete Sadriddin Saymatov at the Karate Premier League stages in 2017, where he has thrice won the gold medal, proves that this sport can bring medals for Uzbekistan at the Olympic Games. There is fairly no sport that would not be promising, it just requires due attention to development.
The construction of an ice palace in Tashkent to a modern architectural design, of unprecedented size and solutions for the Central Asian region, suggests that the country is capable of taking the most complicated technical bars.
The completion of the construction of the sports complex will allow developing such world’s popular sports as hockey, figure skating and many others, even in the forty-degree heat.
The fact that the republic will be able to escape from the lopsided development of sports in the coming years is also proved by a program of measures that are taken within the framework of the Action Strategy on Five Priority Areas for 2017-2021. The program provides for the development of a network of 296 children’s and youth sports schools, about 51,000 sports complexes, stadiums and facilities, as well as the construction of new schools of the Olympic reserve.
Most of the abovementioned objects were built or reconstructed in the years of independence. Each of them provides the conditions for the development of several sports, sports equipment is updated if necessary. Qualified coaching staff is selected scrupulously in order to ensure a high level of training. Much attention is paid to the development of national and game sports, martial arts, light and heavy athletics, fencing, calisthenics, and others.
The three-stage system of children’s sports games Umid Nihollari, Barkamol Avlod and the Universiade have been playing a special role in this work. The games have brought up several generations of athletes who have shown high results in international competitions. They have turned into an effective tool for not just selecting talents for the national team reserves, since they cover the entire republic, but also for the development of sports infrastructure in the regions. Sports facilities are built and reconstructed in cities and towns as part of preparation for the games.
For instance, Jizzakh is getting prepared to host Barkamol Avlod games among college and lyceum students in May. Reconstruction and repair of stadiums and sports grounds have almost been completed. It is important that after the games modern, high-quality sports facilities will remain at the disposal of local youth and the population.
MANAGEMENT REFORM
Recent events in the sport life of Uzbekistan have shown that sports can be developed much more effective. The Decree of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ‘On further improvement of the culture and sports management system’ is aimed at implementation of the huge potential available.
As underscored in the official commentary to the decree, the critical analysis showed that the Ministry of Culture and Sports did not fully ensure the fulfillment of a wide range of tasks, especially in terms of coordination of related activities of state administration and local executive bodies, strengthening of logistical capacity of cultural, enlightenment, sports and health improving facilities, and their provision with qualified staff.
Moreover, as life practice showed, the unification of such multifaceted and complicated areas as culture and sport under one ministry decreased the effectiveness of measures on the broad-scale development of physical culture, and improvement of selection of promising athletes. As a result, the Ministry of Culture and Sports was often limited with the concentration of resources and opportunities available for holding festive cultural events and mobilization for important international sports competitions. The Ministry needed radical reforms to remedy the negative trends.
Therefore, it was decided to abolish the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Uzbekistan, and separate it into the Ministry of Culture and the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports.
The new state body is entrusted with sports and physical culture advocacy among broad population strata, strengthening of logistical capacity of physical culture and sports organizations, support in the development of proposals on the establishment and expansion of production of domestic sports equipment and tools.
The new committee has embarked on the all-round development of children’s sports through the broad involvement of children, especially girls, in regular sports activities. Particular attention is paid to the further expansion of the network of children’s sports facilities in all regions, thereby improving children’s health and ensuring their harmonious physical development.
The implementation of measures on streamlining of the continuous system of selection, training and advanced training of talented and promising athletes is defined as a key mission of the Committee. Modern technologies are being introduced into the process of training, formation of quality sports reserve and the composition of national teams of the country.
Altogether, the measures should ensure the successful participation of Uzbekistan in the Olympic and Asian games, world and continent championships, and other prestigious international competitions.
The new Committee has seriously embarked on the provision of highly qualified staff for sports organizations and educational institutions, expansion and strengthening of interstate and international relations.
ADDRESSING PRESSING PROBLEMS
The executive board of the Children’s Sports Development Fund of Uzbekistan and 256 sports schools and boarding schools has been transferred from the Ministry of Public Education into the structure of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports. This step is expected to catalyze the ongoing work on the development and promotion of children’s sports, further strengthening of logistical capacity of abovementioned facilities, and improve the system of sports education and building of sports reserves.
The structure of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports envisages the establishment of offices on scientific and methodological support of sports and educational institutions, on formation and training of national teams.
The reorganization of a system of provision of highly qualified coaches and specialists of sports organizations and educational institutions has started. Center for Retraining and Professional Development of Workers of Children’s and Youth Sports Schools under the Ministry of Public Education merges with the Center for Scientific and Methodological Support, Retraining and Advanced Training of Physical Culture and Sports Specialists under the Uzbek State Institute of Physical Culture. It is going to be a unified authority to deal with the issues of training specialists in the field of sports.
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Analysts share one view that the implementation of the Action Strategy on Five Priority Areas for 2017-2021, as well as reformation of the state management system in sports will allow raising the level of state policy in this direction to a new, higher level, strengthening the atmosphere of high spirituality, catalyzing the physical activity and creative energy of the people, creating all the conditions for growing the comprehensively advanced young generation, and strengthening the image of Uzbekistan as a country capable of achieving outstanding progress in sports.
(As part of the social order of the Oliy Majlis Public Fund for Support of NGOs and Other Civil Society Institutions).
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

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