THE SENATE CONVENES FOR A GENERAL SESSION

On August 6-7, 2015, Tashkent has hosted the third general session of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The senators began the second day of the plenary meeting with the deliberation on the draft law of the of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the ratification of the Protocol on the Introduction of Amendments and Addenda into the Agreement between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Federal Republic of Germany on the Avoidance of Double Taxation in Relation to Income and Property Taxes Signed 7 September 1999 (Berlin, 14 October 2014)”. It was noted that the Protocol envisages the introduction of amendments to the acting agreement in order to enhance the bilateral relations in the field of exchange of information and assistance in taxation.

According to members of the upper house of the parliament, the adoption of this protocol will facilitate uplifting the swiftness of exchange in tax information between the two states, combating a diversity of abuses in the payment of taxes, as well as the timely delivery of taxes unpaid by residents into the budgets of the two sides.

Further on, in accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, senators heard the report on the activities of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the year 2014. It was underscored that the activities of the Bank in the previous year were carried out in line with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan” and were directed at the unconditional execution of tasks outlined by President Islam Karimov at the session of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan to discuss the outcomes of the socioeconomic development in the country in 2013 and the crucial priority dimensions of the economic program for 2014, as well as the resolution of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Report of the Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the Activities of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2013”.

It was stressed during the hearing that the level of capital sufficiency of the banking system equaled 23.8 percent – a three times as much as the normative requirements established by the Basel Committee for Banking Supervision.

The senators extended their proposals and recommendations to bolster the effectiveness in the activities of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Then on, members of the upper house discussed issues concerning the introduction of changes to the composition of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan and appointment of chiefs of diplomatic missions of the Republic of Uzbekistan in a number of foreign nations.

The general session participants considered also other issues pertaining to the powers of the upper house. On all of them, the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan approved corresponding decisions.

11 issues, including 6 draft laws, were deliberated on during the two-day meeting of the upper house.

Of utmost importance at the plenary session became the approved bills directed at securing reliable protection of private property, removal of barriers and obstacles on the way of entrepreneurship, unconditional application of privileges and preferences granted to entrepreneurship entities, reinforcement of responsibility of public officials for obstruction and illegal interference in their activities, which will certainly contribute to improving the investment climate, increasing business activity in the country, deepening socio-economic market reforms, and thus uplifting the welfare of the population prosperity of the nation.

The amendments and addenda introduced into the acting legislation in accordance with the laws approved by the Senate in the field of further democratization of the judicial sphere, liberalization and humanization of the system of punishment for crimes will facilitate the elevation in the effectiveness of the system that provides for law and order as well as security in the country and the reliable protection of human rights and freedoms.

The senators passed also the bills envisaging further perfection of organizational-legal foundations of the development of physical culture and sports, amplification of the effectiveness of the system of state support in this sphere, as well as provision for the sanitary-epidemiological welfare in the nation, advancement of the system of prophylaxis of diseases.

The draft laws and resolutions approved by members of the upper house of the parliament will facilitate the steadfast intensification of democratic, socioeconomic and sociopolitical reforms and the formation of civil society in the country as well as the elevation of living standards and wellbeing of the population.

Press Service of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan

UzA