INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 77

April 20, 2017

OFFICIALLY
Ministry of Housing and Communal Services created

State inspectorate on control over use of drinking water established

Mahmudjon Boltabaev heads Agency for science and technology

INVESTMENTS
Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company has presented a new concept of implementation of the investment project on expansion of the production capacity of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
On meeting with MFA Secretary General of Oman and bilateral political consultations

Uzbekistan - China business forum held in Tashkent

OFFICIALLY

Ministry of Housing and Communal Services created
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on creation of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services on 19 April 2017.
The ministry will include Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of Karakalpakstan, departments of housing and communal services in the regions and Main Department of housing and communal services of Tashkent city.
Inspectorate on control in the sphere of exploitation of multi-storey houses with its territorial inspections in Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city will be also part of new ministry.
Engineering company on construction of multi-storey houses and heating objects with its branches will be in structure of the ministry.
The ministry will conduct single state policy and inter-industrial coordination in the sphere of housing and communal services.
It will carry our state programme on construction of affordable multi-storey houses, water supply, sewerage, heating networks.
The ministry will coordinate activities of private owners’ association and control over adhering to requirements on maintaining, exploitation and use of multi-storey houses, rules and norms of technical exploitation of multi-storey houses.
Among the tasks of the ministry is to execute programmes on developing, modernizing and reconstructing water supply, sewage and heating systems, etc.
New ministry will introduce resource and energy saving technologies and equipment, including with installation of metering equipment.
It will also form tariff policy in water supply, sewage and heating services in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan.
(Source: UzDaily.com)

State inspectorate on control over use of drinking water established
State Inspectorate on control over use of drinking water under the Cabinet of Ministers was established in Uzbekistan.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a corresponding decree on 19 April 2017.
New inspectorate will ensure compliance of requirements of legislation and normative documents in the sphere of technical regulation in the sphere of rational and effective production, transportation and realization of drinking water, providing sewage and water cleaning services.
Inspectorate will conduct technical audit of the objects on water supply and sewage systems, directed at improving technological process and energy saving.
It will also supervise compliance with the technical requirements for connection to the water supply and sewerage system, preventing unauthorized connections to the water supply and sewerage system.
The inspectorate will monitor the conditions of operating of groundwater wells, regardless of their form of ownership.
Within execution of its tasks and functions, the State Water inspectorate will have right to conduct surveys of all categories of water supply and sewerage objects, as well as water wells, regardless of the form of ownership on issues within their competence.
The Inspectorate has the right to conduct inspections at the facilities of legal entities and individuals, including in residential premises, for compliance with the rules for connection and use of the water supply and sewerage system.
State Inspectorate has the right to fine for violations of the requirements of legislation in the sphere of water supply and sewerage, as well as the rules of connection and use of the water supply and sewerage system.
(Source: UzDaily.com)

Mahmudjon Boltabaev heads Agency for science and technology
The Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan appointed Mahmudjon Boltabaev Director General of the Agency for science and technology of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Agency for science and technology was established by the decree of the President of the country in February of the current year on the basis of the abolished Committee on coordination of development of science and technologies under the Cabinet of Ministers.
The Agency is entrusted with the formation of state orders for providing scientific and technical services in fulfilment of fundamental, applied and innovative research for the sectors of the economy and social sphere.
(Source: UzReport.uz)

INVESTMENTS

Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company has presented a new concept of implementation of the investment project on expansion of the production capacity of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex
Previously, the company planned to increase the annual capacity of polyethylene production from the current 125,000 tons to more than 200,000, while now it intends to bring the output to 500,000 tons. At the same time, the project provides for the processing of valuable raw materials - synthetic naphtha, as well as development of new types of polyethylene and polypropylene.
The new concept will allow the implementation of an initiative of using synthetic naphtha GTL in the production of olefins with the subsequent release of new polymer grades. In addition, the implementation of the project will provide an opportunity to create a new technological cluster in the Kashkadarya region.
In the Investment Program for 2017, the project is estimated at more than $400 million, about $100 million of which will be allocated by the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, $250 million by a foreign partner, and the rest - by Uzbekneftegaz. The company schedules to complete all the works by the end of 2019. The project cost and terms of commissioning will likely increase with the change of the concept.
Earlier, the Uzbek side signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint study of the project on upgrade of GCC facilities with the South Korean company GS E&C.
The Shurtan GCC was put into operation in 2001. It has major outlets in Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, China, Poland, Italy and other countries.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

On meeting with MFA Secretary General of Oman and bilateral political consultations
On April 20, 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov received the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman led by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, who arrived in Uzbekistan to attend bilateral negotiations.
At the beginning of the meeting, the sides exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Oman, which will be widely celebrated in our countries on April 22.
The parties expressed mutual interest in expanding cooperation in all possible areas and the availability of the necessary capacity for this. These issues should be at the center of activities of the Embassy of Oman in Tashkent, and the Embassy of Uzbekistan that is going to be opened soon in the city of Muscat.
The sides noted with satisfaction that the new building of the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Abu Rayhan Beruni under the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan is an outstanding symbol of fruitful bilateral ties in the cultural and humanitarian spheres, construction and equipment of which are being completed with the financial and advisory assistance of Oman.
During the conversation, topical aspects of international politics were also discussed.
On the same day, the fifth round of the Uzbek-Oman inter-ministerial political consultations were held, where key issues of the bilateral agenda thoroughly and substantively discussed in the context of a mutual desire to strengthen cooperation in various fields were.
A special attention was paid to interaction in the transport and communication sector with an emphasis on launching the mechanisms of the transport corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman.
The Ambassador Oman Muhammad bin Said bin Muhammad al-Lavati attended the events.
(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

Uzbekistan - China business forum held in Tashkent
In the capital city’s international cooperation centre, a business forum has taken place with the participation of business circles of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China.
This event was devoted to the further development of the two countries’ bilateral trade-economic and investment cooperation. The forum was attended by chiefs of Uzbek and Chinese ministries and departments responsible for such spheres as external economic relations, trade, investment, oil and natural gas, geology, mineral resources, building materials production, car manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transport and communications, logistics, information technologies and electrical engineering, and also by managers of companies.
Ulughbek Roziqulov, deputy prime minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Azim Ahmadkhojayev, chairman of the state committee of Uzbekistan for investments; Sun Lijie, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Uzbekistan; and others said that cooperation between the two countries was developing steadily in all its spheres and that agreements reached at bilateral talks between the two states’ leaders were important law-based foundations for this cooperation.
A treaty on friendship and cooperation and a joint declaration on strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China serve to develop the two countries’ relations. As a result of the state visit of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to Uzbekistan in June 2016 the two countries’ relations rose to the level of strategic partnership.
China is one of the biggest economic and investment partners of Uzbekistan. Most-favoured-nation status was established between the two states in bilateral trade relations. Agreements were signed between the two countries on trade, on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments and on the prevention of double taxation and tax evasion. These agreements serve to develop their trade and economic relations.
Thanks to Uzbekistan’s steadily developing economy, convenient geographical position, modern transportation supply lines and thorough and reliable strategy for investment attraction, China is one of many countries whose interest in cooperating with this country is rising.
There are 704 firms and companies with Chinese capital working in Uzbekistan. They work in such areas as oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, metals extraction, machine building, trade, textile, food production, health care and electrical engineering. In the year 2016, the two countries’ bilateral trade amounted to 4.7 billion dollars, and the figure for the first quarter of this year is 1.2 billion dollars.
It was especially emphasized at the forum that Uzbekistan and China had great potential for the further development of the trade-economic cooperation between the two countries.
At the business forum, speeches were made about the countries’ economic and investment potential and possibilities for the production of petrochemicals, building materials and pharmaceuticals. Chinese businessmen were provided with detailed information about large-scale reforms being implemented in this country, guarantees of the development of the small business and private entrepreneurship sphere, big conveniences and privileges in the “Navoiy”, “Jizzakh”, “Qoqon”, “Urgut”, “Gijduvon”, “Hazorasp” and “Angren” economic zones.
On the same day, a cooperative exchange took place with the participation of representatives of a number of companies and enterprises of Uzbekistan and representatives of China’s business circles. At this cooperative exchange, entrepreneurs of the two countries exchanged views on drawing up and implementing mutually beneficial and forward-looking projects.
(Source: UzA)

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