Download International conference "On the role and importance of small

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