INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 95

May 16, 2017

THE STATE VISIT PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO CHINA
Uzbekistan - China: High Results of Mutual Cooperation Based on Confidence and Strong Friendship

ECONOMY
Uzbekistan: Big bet on small business

ENERGETICS
The development of a program of measures on the further development of Uzbekistan’s hydropower engineering for 2017-2021 has been finalized in Uzbekistan

BUSINESS CLIMATE
Seven new free economic zones in Uzbekistan will specialize in growing medicinal plant feedstock in specific natural conditions

EDUCATION
Uzbekistan: New state standards for school and secondary special, vocational education

THE STATE VISIT PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN TO CHINA

Uzbekistan - China: High Results of Mutual Cooperation Based on Confidence and Strong Friendship
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev laid flowers to the Monument of the People’s heroes at the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.
The monument to the People’s heroes was erected to the memory of the fighters, who sacrificed their lives in the struggles of the Chinese people in the XIX and XX centuries. On the pedestal of the tablet are huge bas-reliefs depicting eight major historical episodes in 1840-1949. The monument was built in 1951-1958. It has an estimated height of 37.94 metres and covers an area of 3,000 square metres. On the front of the monument is an inscription in Mao Zedong’s handwriting, which reads, "Eternal glory to the people’s heroes!".
Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a tribute of respect to the memory of the People’s heroes of China.
* * *
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with representatives of business circles of China.
The current state and prospects of cooperation, priority directions of steady development of the long-term partnership between Uzbekistan and China were discussed at the meeting.
It was underlined that Uzbekistan has established long-term and mutually beneficial relations with leading industrial companies of China, joint projects in oil and gas, telecommunications, transport, textiles, tourism, construction, chemicals and other spheres have been successfully implemented.
I am delighted to see the businesspeople, who cooperate with our country, Uzbekistan attaches a great significance to business relations with China, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
The President of our country emphasised that Chinese businesses participate in many new industrial projects in Uzbekistan.
China is one of the countries with active investments in the economy of Uzbekistan. Over 700 companies and enterprises with Chinese capital function in our country. We are pleased to highlight that the Chinese investors have invested almost 8 billion US dollars into the Uzbek economy over the past years, the President pointed out.
He also stressed that the Uzbekistan-China industrial park of new technologies- “Jizzakh” free economic zone is a vivid example of this cooperation. Mobile telephones, sewing machines, construction materials, solar collectors and other competitive products are manufactured here.
The issues of further developing cooperation in trade-economic, investment, technical and energy spheres, increasing the volumes of bilateral trade turnover were considered at the meeting.
President Mirziyoyev thanked the Chinese businesspeople, working in Uzbekistan and expressed willingness to further develop cooperation.
Co-chairman of the Uzbekistan-China intergovernmental committee on cooperation Meng Jianzhu, Chairman of COFCO Corporation Zhao Shuanglian, Vice-President of China Exim Bank Sun Ping and others underlined that cooperation with Uzbekistan is yielding high results, reaffirmed interest in further continuation of business relations.
* * *
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Chairman of Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Dejiang.
The parties had a comprehensive exchange of views on the issues of bilateral, multifaceted relations between our countries, further development of investment and cultural-humanitarian cooperation.
We believe that your visit will take the relations between China and Uzbekistan to an even higher level, Zhang Dejiand remarked.
The People’s Republic of China is one of the most significant and reliable partners of Uzbekistan. Representatives of business circles of China actively participate in developing Uzbekistan’s economy, in broadening the production of competitive goods and increasing the export capacity of our country. During the meeting with President of China Xi Jinping we have agreed on further development of this cooperation. The signed documents will facilitate strengthening of long-term strategic partnership between our countries, cooperation in political, cultural and other spheres, based on mutual respect and interest, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
* * *
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has met Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang.
Premier Li Keqiang has said that the visit of the President of Uzbekistan will help further develop cooperation and strengthen the relations of strategic partnership between our countries.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said that Uzbekistan highly values the friendly relations with China and that the dynamic development of the cooperation between the two countries serves the interests of the Uzbek and Chinese peoples.
In the course of the visit of the Head of State of Uzbekistan to China, more than 100 documents were signed. This is proof of the fact that the traditional trade-economic relations between Uzbekistan and China have risen to a new level.
Meetings within the framework of the visit created a favourable opportunity for the expansion of the scale of the two countries’ multi-faceted relations and made it possible to analyse the current state of their cooperation and to map out its promising areas.
* * *
The state visit of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the People’s Republic of China is jam-packed with different events and mutually beneficial meetings.
The Head of our state received chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Wang Yilin.
The company actively participates in exploration and development of hydrocarbon fields in the territory of our country, deep processing of natural gas in the Muborak gas-chemical complex.
The issues of implementing prospective projects in the sphere of high technologies and attracting Chinese investments in the priority areas of Uzbekistan’s economy were discussed at the meeting.
We champion further continuation of cooperation in introducing the most modern, environmentally clean and effective technologies in deep processing of hydrocarbon feedstock, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
Wang Yilin reaffirmed the interest in implementing prospective projects of constructing new and modernizing the existing production facilities in Uzbekistan.
The President of Uzbekistan also met with chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China Hu Xiolian.
Several projects in healthcare, energy, transport and other spheres have been implemented in Uzbekistan with credit support from this bank.
The Head of our state underlined the need to further develop mutually beneficial partnership relations, based on mutual trust.
Hu Xiolian expressed interest in further enhancing investment cooperation with Uzbekistan.
(Source: UzA)

ECONOMY

Uzbekistan: Big bet on small business
Reliable protection of a private property and reduction of state presence in economy is the main guideline which has been sounded during meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers results of the socio-economic development of the republic for the first quarter of this year and the development of additional practical measures to ensure unconditionally implementation of the most important priorities and tasks of the economic program for 2017.
For the first three months of this year more than 13,6 thousand new subjects of small business that is 64 percent more compared with the corresponding period of the last year have appeared. It means that more and more compatriots, using favorable business climate in the country decide to start own business. In this case they can count on full support from the state. Yes, the state reduces its presence in economy. But it doesn’t mean at all how some think that the state withdraws from the solution of questions of economy and leaves businessmen alone with harsh realities of market relations. Reduction of the state presence in economy occurrs consistently as the strong legislative base for protection of a private property and development of small business is created. The leaders of the republic have taken purposeful and large-scale measures to promote and support businessmen, in particular, by means of the system created on the "one window" principle, allocation of the soft bank loans volume of which, by the way, in the first quarter of this year has made 4,6 trillion soums (currency rates of CB RU from 16.05.2017, 1$= 3790.00 soums) or 1,3 times more compared with the same period of last year.
Just on day of holding a governmental meeting the President Shavkat Mirziyoev has signed the Decree "About Formation of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Assistance to the Privatized Enterprises and Development of the Competition", and the resolution "About Measures to increase efficiency of work with the privatized enterprises".
Both these documents are directly related to solving problems of further development of private business and entrepreneurship. So, the decree among priority activities of the new State Committee defines the organization together with Chamber of Commerce and Industry of training businessmen realizing investment projects on the basis of the privatized objects in principles of business and development of business plans, legislation in the sphere of business activity, management, financial management and other disciplines on the courses hold on the basis of professional colleges with attraction of the successful businessmen and foreign experts working in the republic to exchange of experience. And it is noted in the resolution that during the post-independence period within system work on privatization and denationalization over 30 thousand state objects, including 6,5 thousand large and medium-sized enterprises all over the country have been sold into private ownership.
By results of inventory more than two thousand low-profitable and unprofitable low-power economic entities created on the basis of earlier privatized enterprises, including more than one thousand the idle and actually empty objects, inefficiently used land plots and production facilities existing in the republic in the republic were revealed. The tasks of cardinal revision of approaches, principles and methods of work of authorized bodies with the privatized enterprises, rendering them every possible assistance in increasing efficiency of activity, development and implementation of "road maps" on restoration and development of production, training in principles of business activity are nowadays set.
The solution of the above tasks, as the resolution of the head of state notes, will allow to involve as much as possible the huge economic and production capacity of the privatized enterprises which have to become the engine of economic growth due to expansion of production, strengthening of export, increase in employment and the income of the population. And rendering full support to the privatized enterprises has to provide in the next years a powerful impulse in development of regions of the republic and country as a whole.
The example of attention to development of small business and private entrepreneurship is given by the President. So, during trips around regions of the republic he visits and gets acquainted not only with work of the large enterprises and implementation of large investment projects, but also pays special attention to conditions in fields the businessmen operate in, perspective projects which are developed or already implemented in Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city. And appearance in the country since the beginning of this year much more subjects of small business compared with the same period of the previous year , is also, demonstration of enthusiasm of those responded to calls of the President to be more courageous in getting down to business, to create the business in industrials sector and in a services sector, paying at the same time special attention to processing of local raw materials, manufacturing of competitive production, development new types of production, saturation of domestic market with best-selling goods, products, services and organization of export, creation of additional jobs, especially for youth.
Ranks of domestic businessmen are growing. And it is one of major factors of further growth of economy of the republic and increase in welfare of the population. With regard to specific contribution of subjects of small businesses and private enterprises to common cause, as the information service of State Committee on Statistics has reported, according the preliminary results, in the first quarter of this year the share of this sector in the industry has made 41,6 percent, in a services sector — 58 percent, export — 28,1 percent and employment of the population — 77,7 percent. All these indicators exceed similar indicators for the same period of previous year. For January-March the subjects of small businesses and private enterprises have mastered investments into economy almost for four trillion soums, and this figure made 41,2 percent of the total amount of the investments mastered in the republic. It should be especially noted that representatives of the one of the most important sectors of economy in the first quarter of 2017 have executed construction works worth over 4,8 trillion soums that makes 69,9 percent of the total amount of construction works and is 14,9 percent more than the level of the corresponding period of previous year. So for the three first month of year the reserve for successful implementation of the annual program is created. The main thing is to increase the rates of work, to develop business, and those who only develops business field should get involved into common work. In further progressive social and economic development of the country big bet today is made on small business, therefore businessmen have to work more and better effectively using the given opportunities.
(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)

ENERGETICS

The development of a program of measures on the further development of Uzbekistan’s hydropower engineering for 2017-2021 has been finalized in Uzbekistan
The document aims at consistent increase in the use of renewable energy sources, creation of new environmentally friendly generating capacities, technical and technological re-equipment of existing hydroelectric power stations on the basis of modern technologies.
The achievement of abovementioned objectives would raise the efficiency of water resources management taking into account the intensive introduction of best international practices, ensure the balance of energy resources, and thereby better meet the needs of enterprises and the population in electric power.
In the next five years, it is planned to build a record number of new hydroelectric power plants in the country - 42. Another 32 stations will be upgraded in accordance with the top international standards.
The implementation of the hydropower development program in Uzbekistan will be based on four major areas - gradual creation of new and modernization of existing generating capacities in the electric power industry through the widespread use of renewable clean energy sources.
It is planned to adopt up-to-date and comprehensively grounded scientific and technical solutions in design and construction of large, medium, small and micro hydropower plants and, thereupon, increase the share of capacities in the country’s energy balance.
Another important objective envisages all-round stimulation of careful attitude to water capacity of the republic, preservation of flora and fauna during the construction of hydraulic structures, as well as effective water resources management. Most importantly, our country will fulfill all its obligations and comply with ratified international agreements in the field of protection and use of trans-boundary watercourses and international lakes.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

BUSINESS CLIMATE

Seven new free economic zones in Uzbekistan will specialize in growing medicinal plant feedstock in specific natural conditions
In the near future, the industrial map of Uzbekistan will be enriched with Nukus-Pharm, Zomin-Pharm, Kosonsoy-Pharm, Syrdaryo-Pharm, Boysun-Pharm, Bustonlik-Pharm and Parkent-Pharm zones.
Experts see the establishment of these zones as a fairly expected step to catalyze the stagnant Uzbek pharmaceutical industry. Today, the republic imports 6,300 names of various medicines, while producing about 2,000 names. They call a strong dependence on foreign feedstock and raw materials as the main factor hindering the further growth.
The country’s capacity for growing medicinal plants is not being fully utilized. Thus, only 71 out of 350 species are currently cultivated on industrial plantations. As a result, extremely low harvest volumes do not allow for the stable production of marketable drugs.
A new decree of the head of state is called to change the situation. The zones will be created in ecologically clean regions of Karakalpakstan, Jizzakh, Namangan, Syrdarya, Surkhandarya and Tashkent regions. Core government agencies will soon develop a targeted program on the establishment of industrial plantations, and a list of specific types of medicinal plants recommended for cultivation, followed by the organization of enhanced processing and production of medicines and biologically active additives.
All enterprises on the territory of the zones, will be released from various taxes, as well as mandatory contributions to the target state funds for various periods, depending on the amount of investment. They will also be granted with certain customs preferences.
In turn, the government will undertake all the expenses to connect each production site in zones to the external road, transport, engineering and communication infrastructure.
In context
There are currently 146 pharmaceutical companies in Uzbekistan. In 2016, the share of domestic medicines in the total volume of products on the country’s pharmaceutical market was 55%.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

EDUCATION

Uzbekistan: New state standards for school and secondary special, vocational education
In recent days, the approval of new state educational standards for school and secondary special, vocational education has been one of the most discussed topics. Abdurahim Nasirov, head of department of the Ministry of Public Education, helped to make everything clear to the correspondent of Uzbekistan Today.
— Over the past three to four years, numerous information materials on the modernization of educational standards have constantly appeared in our media. It seems that every year, new ones are introduced. Could you clarify the situation?
— Indeed, in recent years, scrupulous work was carried out to improve the existing standards, approbation of them on a practical basis. This was the subject of materials in the media. However, all schools until this year worked according to the standards approved in 1999. These were the first standards in the history of national education where the requirements for knowledge that students should receive at each stage of education, were detailed. This year, the Cabinet of Ministers approved new standards, elaborated taking into account best practices.
There are several principal differences in them. The transition to new standards will be carried out step-by-step and will be completed in 2020. This process will be tied to the updating of textbooks. So, from the academic year 2017/2018 the students of 1, 2, 6, 7th grades will pass to the new standards. I note that more than 200 leading scientists, methodologists and teachers worked on the textbooks of the new generation.
— What is the main advantage of the standards approved this year?
— Previously, there were separate standards for schools, colleges and lyceums. As a result, there were various inconsistencies in the study of subjects which did not have the best effect on the quality of education. When developing a new standard, twelve-year compulsory education - nine years in school and three years in a college or lyceum contains a single unit. This will help to evade many shortcomings.
The academic education and learning of the teaching material was a priority in the previous standards and curricula. Everything was aimed at the fact that after studying the material the child could say: "I know ...". Now the educational process will be focused on the practical application of the gained knowledge. With the new standards, we must secure that the student says: "I can ...". Thus, the preparation of the children for professional work will begin already from school years.
— "Labor training" was renamed into the subject "Technology", and "Fundamentals of Informatics and Computer Engineering" - in "Informatics and Information Technologies". This fact caused a big resonance in the society. However, what is the essence of the changes?
— There was not only a renaming of the objects, but also an enhancement in their content. Why the lessons of labor became the lessons of "technology"? For example, earlier the program of this subject for boys was built mainly on teaching the basics of wood and metalworking. However, the products of plastic and new materials are widely used today. Previously, they did not say anything about the labor lessons, but now they will. The range of topics that will be considered on this subject, is expanding. In this case, the question will be not only how to use these or other materials, but also how they are received. This will positively influence in the vocational guidance of students.
There is also a similar story with the computer science. Today, the children already in the first class come with skills not only on the computer, but also on other mobile gadgets, so you do not need to teach them elementary basics. Therefore, the standards and curricula for the subject "Computer Science and Information Technology" are now oriented to educating the children in the wider and more active application of these technologies in everyday life.
I will say more: in computer science the status of the school leveled up. If earlier (from the 5th to the 8th grade) this subject could be replaced by any other by the decision of the pedagogical council of the school, but now it has become mandatory. That is, today the lessons of computer science from the 5th to the 9th grades will be guaranteed for all schoolchildren without exception. These changes were made taking into account the best foreign experience.
— And why was a computer science included in the elementary classes in mathematics? Will this not affect the quality of teaching?
— This was made taking into account the requirements of the time and for the formation of children’s 1-4 grades of basic knowledge in information technology.
As for the teaching of mathematics, it will only have a favorable effect on its quality, as the lesson will become more interesting and exciting. After all, the children at this age will begin to receive the information about how all kinds of gadgets work that they use every day.
In addition, programming during this period will be represented mainly by logic problems. The main goal of this innovation is the development of logical thinking.
— There is also much talk about the innovation in physical education. Now the programs of this subject include chess ...
— Introduction of chess in the educational process, above all, is aimed at developing students’ logical thinking skills. The fact that this game contributes to this, and that has been known for a long time. Previously, the students could also engage in chess, but only at additional classes, in sports sections, children’s and youth sports schools. Now such conditions will be created for each student.
— What does the Ministry expect from all these innovations?
— We hope that they will help children to realize themselves, to be more successful in their future lives.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

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