INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 86

May 3, 2017

OFFICIALLY
Uzbekistan announces 8 May as day-off

Uzbekbaliqsanoat established in Uzbekistan

Uzbek President approves measures on improving activities of State Committee on architecture and construction

ECONOMY
Uzbekistan takes steps to reduce costs of chemical industry enterprises

INFRASTRUCTURE
Over 700 kilometers of public roads were repaired in Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2017

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION
SCO XII Forum session to be held in Tashkent

ECOLOGY
In the next five years, Uzbekistan will allocate more than 1 trillion soums to improve the sanitary and ecological condition in cities and districts, radically improve and develop the waste management system

OFFICIALLY

Uzbekistan announces 8 May as day-off
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a resolution “On shifting day-off from Saturday, 6 May, to Monday, 8 May 2017” on 2 May 2017.
The resolution said that in connection with celebration of the Day of Memory and Honour, as well as create favourable conditions to resting of population, Monday, 8 May 2017, announced as a day-off in Uzbekistan.
With his resolution, the leader of Uzbekistan announced 6 May 2017, Saturday, as a working day in the country.
(Source: UzDaily.com)

Uzbekbaliqsanoat established in Uzbekistan
Following several steps to support the fishing industry, over 3,000 hectares of artificial lakes were created in 2016 for around 900 new businesses to set up their fishing operations.
Ipoteka Bank offered its support in 116 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 03.05.2017, 1$= 3734.91soums) in loans.
Nearly 76,000 tonnes of fish were produced in 2016 — 16,000 tonnes more than in 2015.
They are some shortcomings, however, including weak fish seeds production and inefficient use of water reservoirs, which lead to a below-the-world-average output of 2 tonnes per hectare.
Having pointed out the weaknesses during his visit to Djizzak on 27 April, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Resolution ‘On Measures for Fishing Industry Management Improvement’.
The Resolution sets up Uzbekbaliqsanoat, an association including 13 territorial Baliqsanoat units.
The association has been tasked with structuring the production chain, renovating fish seed manufacturing, rationalising water reservoir use, and introducing new reasonable technologies and practices in fishing.
The Scientific Pisciculture Development Station has been reordered into the Scientific Pisciculture Institute with offices in the Aydar-Arnasay Lake System and other regions.
The co-financing of projects will be effected through Ipoteka Bank’s investment campaign, which will make up at least 51% of territorial Baliqsanoat units’ authorised capital.
In bids to promote the funding of scientific surveys, new practice studies, and technology innovation, the Association will have the Pisciculture Development Fund.
Uzbekbaliqsanoat, Baliqsanoat, and their members will receive tax exemptions until 1 January 2023.
The moneys saved will be channelled to supporting fishing organisations and strengthening the resource base.
The resolution provides for an action plan to boost fishing seeds production, introduce new fishing practices, and boost output.
Such species as catfish, trout, tilapia, Hungarian carp, and sturgeon will be bred.
Meeting these targets will require developing an action plan for efficient use of opportunities in the Aydar-Arnasay lake system, introducing cage fishing, strengthening the resource base, and reorienting professional colleges.
It will also require a new fishing faculty at the Tashkent Agricultural University and the study of international experience in this area.
Once taken, these steps will help create a single management system, create new jobs, boost fish production, satisfy people’s demand for fishing product, and bolster export potential.
(Source: UzReport.uz)

Uzbek President approves measures on improving activities of State Committee on architecture and construction
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree “On measures on improving activities of the State Committee of Uzbekistan on architecture and construction”.
The document was adopted in order to further develop the sphere of architecture and town planning, improve the state of development and implementation of general plans for cities and settlements, increase the responsibility of state and economic authorities for the decisions on development of settlements.
The decree determined main tasks and activities of the State Committee on Uzbekistan on architecture and construction.
Department of technical regulation in design, implementation of innovative design solutions, technologies and building materials was created in the structure of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Architecture and Construction.
Main Department of State Supervision over Compliance with the Quality of Design and Construction and Installation Works of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Architecture and Construction has been transformed into the State Inspectorate for Architectural and Construction Supervision under the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Architecture and Construction with Territorial Inspections of Architectural and Construction Supervision.
The Architectural and planning bureaus are being created in the form of state unitary enterprises under the Committee of Karakalpakstan on architecture and construction, the main departments for the architecture and construction of the regions and the city of Tashkent.
Republican Architecture and Town Planning Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan was created as well.
State Committee of Uzbekistan on Architecture received several higher and secondary special, professional educational institutions. The resolution also created the Fund for supporting educational institutions.
Uzbek leader signed a resolution on measures of organizing the State Committee of Uzbekistan and Architecture and Construction.
(Source: UzDaily.com)

ECONOMY

Uzbekistan takes steps to reduce costs of chemical industry enterprises
According to experts, the current conditions pose the need to consider cost reduction as the central factor to increase the competitiveness of chemical products in the domestic and foreign markets. Therefore, the new measures will be primarily aimed at drastic reduction of operating and production costs, identification of reserves available, accelerated introduction of progressive energy-efficient, material and resource-saving technologies.
As a result, Uzkimyosanoat enterprises are expected to reduce production and indirect costs by 10.3%, or more than 254 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 03.05.2017, 1$= 3734.91soums) this year alone. For example, Navoiazot will reduce costs by 7.7% (over 62 billion soums), Kungrad Soda Plant - by 10.2% (13.7 billion soums), Dehkanabad Potash Fertilizer Plant - by 40% (117 billion soums).
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also entrusted relevant departments with developing two key documents on the development of the chemical industry in the near future. By December 1, 2017, it is planned to submit a program of specific measures to reduce production costs and increase the competitiveness of manufactured chemical products for 2018-2019 for the Government’s approval.
The Program of Chemical Industry Development for 2017-2021 will be developed by the end of this June. It will envisage the expansion of existing production of phosphorus fertilizers, the organization of flexible production facilities for chemical products of domestic and external demand.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

INFRASTRUCTURE

Over 700 kilometers of public roads were repaired in Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2017
In the reported period, the cost of road works under investment programs amounted to 59.7 billion soums, and overhaul works – to 9.4 billion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 03.05.2017, 1$= 3734.91soums). 195.3 billion soums was disbursed under current repair and maintenance.
Repairs and reconstruction of roads and streets has been underway in the regions. This work is carried out within the framework of targeted programs in conjunction with local administrations. For example, since the beginning of the year, 103.6 km of roads have been repaired in Karakalpakstan, 128.3 km in Andijan region, 94.3 km in Bukhara region, 77.3 km in Jizzakh region, and 97.6 km in the Tashkent region. The smallest indicator of repaired roads falls on the capital about 26 km. The indicator exceeded 1,200 km of roads in the entire republic.
The approved program on the development of regional highways for 2017-2018 provides for the overhaul and current repairs on over 5,400 km of roads. The bulk of them are urban and rural streets, including remote settlements. To meet these needs, it is planned to purchase 330 items of specialized road equipment, and carry out an inventory of existing inter-farm rural roads. The results will be filed into a new electronic database.
This February, the road construction sector was seriously reformed. The State Committee for Roads of the Republic of Uzbekistan replaced the former Uzavtoyul Company by the Decree of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The same document reassigned the Republican Road Fund under the Ministry of Finance to the Cabinet of Ministers. The institution of the State Inspection for Quality Control of Road Construction has become another important change in the operation of the industry. The new body is called to significantly improve the quality of road repair, and cut its terms.
Figures:
The length of the highway network in the republic makes up 184,000 km. Of these, over 42,600 km are public roads as part of the Uzbek National Highway.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION

SCO XII Forum session to be held in Tashkent
Tashkent will host the 12th session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Forum, under the aegis of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies and the foreign ministry of Uzbekistan.
Leading research centres from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Kirgizstan, Russia, Tajikistan, as well as India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan will join the SCO Secretariat and the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure’s Executive Committee at the session.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, and Belarus are the organisation’s observers, with Turkey, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, and Nepal playing their part as partners.
The organisation cooperates with the UN, ASEAN, the CIS, OECD, and CSTO.
The SCO Forum is aimed at boosting scientific cooperation and giving forecasts on SCO activities.
The upcoming forum will focus on the results of the 2016 SCO Summit in Tashkent, security issues on the SCO territory, further cooperation development, and the organisation’s expansion.
The forum will also include discussions on stronger interaction with observers and partners.
Last year, SCO passed the Tashkent Declaration that summed up the fifteen years of the organisation’s work.
The summit also focused on India and Pakistan’s admission as full-fledged members of the SCO.
Included on the forum’s agenda is Uzbekistan’s Action Strategy 2017-2021, which runs in line with SCO’s objectives.
The Action Strategy puts emphasis on transport infrastructure, the SCO’s major interest.
These projects will help build transport corridors between Asia and Europe.
(Source: UzReport.uz)

ECOLOGY

In the next five years, Uzbekistan will allocate more than 1 trillion soums to improve the sanitary and ecological condition in cities and districts, radically improve and develop the waste management system
Today, the republic still faces some unaddressed problems with organization of solid domestic waste disposal, as well as further development of private entrepreneurship in this area.
For example, the existing landfills do not fully comply with sanitary rules, norms and hygienic standards. Natural dumps still arise in some places, worsening the sanitary and epidemiological situation of the adjacent territories, and creating prerequisites for the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
The problem poses the need for an accurate and effective system of collecting, recycling and processing of solid domestic waste, which will be created through the implementation of a new program of measures. It is planned to purchase 237 items of specialized vehicles, build 94 garages, and install 168 sifting devices for solid municipal waste in the framework of equipping specialized sanitation organizations in cities and districts in 2017 alone.
In addition, the government intends to implement several large investment projects in Tashkent, Samarkand, Andijan and Namangan over the next five years to develop a system of collecting, transporting, recycling and processing waste with the support of $161 million of international financial institutions.
The head of state has also approved a targeted program on the development of 168 solid waste landfills by building 114,000 linear meters of fences, 152 sanitary units, 158 household rooms, 163 car washes, 269 kilometers of power lines, 166 wells for technical water supply, and asphalting 240 kilometers of access roads.
Modern enterprises on processing of domestic waste will be built in all regional centers in the next two years to be a core of the system. More than $27 million will be allocated for these purposes. Within five years, a total of one trillion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 03.05.2017, 1$= 3734.91soums) will be invested in the implementation of the entire complex of measures.
According to experts, the implementation of all projects will increase the coverage of household waste disposal services in the country from 63% in 2017 to 93% in 2021.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

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