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INFORMATION DIGEST № 190 17 Septembert, 2012 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "ON THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESS AND PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY IN UZBEKISTAN" ............ 1 XIAOYU ZHAO SAYS ADB IS READY TO ASSIST UZBEKISTAN ........................................................................................................ 1 VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BANK: WE PAY HOMAGE TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF UZBEKISTAN AND ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................... 2 ECONOMY....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 ROISON ELECTRONICS REALIZES INVESTMENT PROJECT ON ELECTRONICS PRODUCTION ............................................................... 3 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ........................................................................................................................................... 3 FRUITFUL COOPERATION OF UZBEK AND FRENCH SCHOLARS ....................................................................................................... 3 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "ON THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESS AND PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY IN UZBEKISTAN" Xiaoyu Zhao says ADB is ready to assist Uzbekistan The Asian Development Bank (ADB) looks forward for further development of close partnership and stands ready to continue to provide assistance to Uzbekistan, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov said at the international conference "On the role and importance of small business and private entrepreneurship in the implementation of socio-economic policy in Uzbekistan". He said that Uzbekistan achieved great progress and achievement in 21 years. Xiaoyu Zhao quoting Uzbek President Islam Karimov said that economic growth made up 3.7 times, real income rose 7 times and life length rose by 7 years in average. The ADB official said that Uzbekistan successfully overcame negative consequences of global economic crisis, achieving sustainable high economic growth and continuing structural reforms. Xiaoyu Zhao recalled that new country partnership strategy (CPS) for 2012-2016 of the ADB and Uzbekistan says that Uzbekistan is one of the fast growing economy in Central Asia and income per capita rose three times in last seven years, and aspires to become an upper middle-income country by 2020. Uzbekistan was able to keep economic growth during global financial crisis, and small and private businesses played key role in this growth and diversification of economy, he said. During last ten years, small and private businesses in Uzbekistan significantly increased their contribution to GDP – from 30% in the beginning of millennium to 50% of GDP at the end of 2011. He said that the small businesses play key role in development of agriculture, construction, trade services, production sectors and light industry. Xiaoyu Zhao stated that small and private businesses create jobs in Uzbekistan as 3 out of four employed people work in the sector. Annually, small and private businesses create about 0.5 million jobs, of which 50% are in rural areas. Development of small and private business play important role in ensuring gender equality and sustainable growth in Uzbekistan. He said that their growth will help Uzbekistan to become upper middleincome country. Educated and young labour resources of Uzbekistan, its rich natural resources, and strategic location in crossroads of Central Asia gave huge opportunity for further development of small and private businesses in the country, the ADB official said. The Government of Uzbekistan conducted several reforms, which create legal basis for creation and operation of small businesses and simplified their registration process on one-stop-shop, as well as adopted new Tax Code and decreased corporate tax rates, he said. The ADB Vice-President said that within several governmental programmes, the country continues targeted crediting of financial institutions for further crediting of small and private businesses to improve access of businesses to financing. Xiaoyu Zhao underlined that financial products are limited and there are need for additional credit resources. He said that he thinks that the government should continue to support to small businesses in this direction. He also attracted attention of participants to recently adopted decrees of the president on providing more freedom to businesses and creating favourable business climate. Xiaoyu Zhao added that Uzbekistan implements several programmes directed at stimulating and developing small businesses and private entrepreneurs in rural areas. He said that the ADB is also participating at these programmes. 1 In particular, he said that the ADB participates in construction of houses in rural areas, which will create 1,000 construction firms and provide jobs for 40,000 builders. Annually, it is planned to create 2,000 family businesses and 10,000 jobs in rural areas. The bank issued US$500 million to the project. He recalled that the ADB has been rendering assistance to small and private businesses in Uzbekistan since 1998, including to development of financial sector to improve access of businesses to financial resources. Xiaoyu Zhao said that the ADB provided technical assistance in banking sector, insurance, pension system, financial supervision and regulation, development of capital markets. The ADB Vice-President said that the ADB allocated US$170 million to development of small and private businesses. Currently, the ADB and Uzbekistan implement the second project in development of small and micro financing to expand access of businesses to financial resources. He recalled that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Uzbekistan have agreed on a new five-year country partnership strategy (CPS) for 2012-2016 that will focus on supporting further development balanced economic growth in Uzbekistan. He said the ADB will support diversification of economy, development of private sector and creation new jobs in city and rural areas. Within the strategy, the ADB will continue provide access to small and private businesses, including businesswomen. Further development of financial sector will improve access to financial resources and this will help to organize new businesses, develop them and realize export potential. (Source: UzDaily.com) Vice-President of the World Bank: we pay homage to sustainable economic growth of Uzbekistan and its achievements in social and economic development In the framework of the international conference held on September 14th 2012 in Tashkent " On the role and importance of small business and entrepreneurship in the implementation of social and economic policy in Uzbekistan " the Vice-President and Head of Division on Finances and issues of Private Sector Development of the World Bank (WB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Dzhanamitra Dewan delivered the report. "I am honored to be here today. This is first time I'm in Uzbekistan, but in the few days that I am here it is hard not to notice the activity that takes place in the country", - said Dzhanamitra Dewan. "We pay homage to the sustainable economic growth of Uzbekistan and its achievements in social and economic development during its independence years. Specifically, we would like to mark ability of republic to hold high level of economic growth during the financial crisis. The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation are pleased to act as a creative partner to assist in the further economic development of Uzbekistan, "- said vice-president of the World Bank. In his speech he paid special attention to the fundamental role of small, private and micro enterprises in the economic development. According to recent statistics, the share of small businesses in Uzbekistan account for nearly three-quarters of the working population, which produces more than half of the country's GDP. Between 2000 and 2010 the contribution of small and private enterprises into GDP of the country increased from one-third to more than half, marked in report Dzhanamitra Dewan. Today small and private enterprises have proved themselves to be an important driving force of innovation power and as a guarantee of employment provision for population. Moreover Uzbekistan has young labor force which itself is already an important resource. Reforms implemented in Uzbekistan in education sphere conduced promoting of skills among young people, considers the vice-president of the World Bank. The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation are about to maintain a constructive partnership with Uzbekistan, form business environment, which will provide economic prosperity of small and private businesses, added Dzhanamitra Dewan. (Source: UzReport.com) 2 ECONOMY Roison Electronics realizes investment project on electronics production Algoritm joint stock company started to produce home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines under Candy and Roison brands. The administrative and production premises of Algoritm underwent general reconstruction and capital repair works. The plant was launched in 1982 and it has not been modernized or repaired since that time. Roison Electronics won a tender on purchase of the state shares in Algoritm as it offered the most attractive conditions of investments. In line with investment plans, Roison Electronics undertook investment obligation to launch production of home appliances under one of global brands Thomson, Candy, Bosch, Hoover, Ariston, Indesit, Samsung, TCL and Kelon, as well as reconstruct and repair administrative and production premises. The investor installed new production line, which will produce high quality home appliances. In the result of conducted work, Roison started to produce washing machines under Candy brand and large assortment of products under Roison brand, including refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, LED TV-sets, LED monitors. The capacity of the plant is 100,000 units of import-replacing and export-oriented products a year. The company said that it will provide three year warranty to all products. The company plans to increase the production volume and assortment of offered products. Roison also is working on localization of production. The localization will allow to cut expenses to raw materials and decrease the cost of the goods. Roison Electronics is holding talks with Candy, Merloni Elettrodomestici, Sony Corporation, Bosh, Thomson and other companies on supplies of equipment on production of spare parts and components. Roison Electronics is also continuing to reconstruct other buildings of Algoritm. It is completing reconstruction of administrative building, which will have offices and new production line. (Source: UzDaily.com) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Fruitful Cooperation of Uzbek and French Scholars Tashkent hosts a scientific seminar at which Uzbek and French scholars have outlined the prospects of joint research work in astronomy and archeology. Interest of French scholars in Uzbekistan and its history, as it was noted in the seminar, has deep roots and started with the study by them of the heritage of the outstanding Uzbek astronomer of the 15th century, Mirzo Ulughbek, who ahead of the epoch of great geographical discoveries created an astronomic table of movement of more than thousand stars. In 2009, in Paris with participation of celebrated scholars was marked the 615th anniversary of the great Uzbek astronomer. “Cooperation between Uzbekistan and France got intensified after gaining independence by our country,” said Shuhrat Egamberdiev, director of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. “Scholars from the two countries became the participants of a major international project on study of the sun. Successful participation in this project of our institute has made it acknowledged center of helioseismology – the science, studying the inner composition of starts basing on observations over their rippling.” Collaboration of astronomers of Uzbekistan and France continues in the field of unique astrophysical objects at the Maydanak Observatory that is located high up in the mountains, 120 kilometers to the south of Samarqand. 3 “Astronomy intensively develops in our country, and we have all necessary cutting-edge technologies, including telescope,” noted at the seminar Professor Roger Ferlet at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics. Research in archeology goes productive as well, noted the attendees of the seminar. A joint expedition has been created that deals with excavations on the ancient territory of Samarqand – Afrosiyob, as well as in other parts of the country. Collaborations have resulted with major discoveries. Those include fortifications and city gates of ancient Samarqand, temples of ancient times, the palace buildings of the 8th century with unique wall paintings. Besides, there was discovered the ancient settlement Koktepa with remains of temples and palaces of that time. These ruins are not without reason, are identified with the ancient capital of Sogdiana - Basilia, which is mentioned in the sources due to the campaigns of Alexander the Great. The seminar was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Uzbekistan Francois Gautier and head of the European Union Delegation in Uzbekistan Norbert Jousten. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper) 4