American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce
BUSINESS NEWSLETTER
  
Week in Review:
March 1, 2013 - March 8, 2013
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2013 Marks AUCC 20th Anniversary

Since 1993 the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront of advancing trade and business relations between the US and the Republic of Uzbekistan. AUCC prides itself in catering to the needs of our members, providing them with a platform to interact with policy makers in the US and the Republic of Uzbekistan and ensuring that bilateral commercial relations continue to be on the governments' top agenda.   

 

For the last twenty years AUCC has been a vigorous advocate of the views of the business community to ensure that private sector positions are considered during the development of policies that impact American businesses and the future of U.S.-Uzbekistan relations.    

 

We are delighted that today AUCC is a well-known organization that is recognized for its strength and ability to work closely with a great number of partner organizations. AUCC enjoys excellent working relations with the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Washington, D.C., the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbek ministries, associations and organizations as well as the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. AUCC also coordinates its efforts with a great number of international financial institutions, business councils and other professional organizations.

If your company is interested in joining AUCC, please contact our office at 202-509-3744 or [email protected].  We invite you to be part of our organization and participate in our activities and events.   

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In This Issue:
AUCC IN BRIEF
The President of Uzbekistan has signed a decree on the development of alternatives energy sources
Senate of Uzbekistan to hold regular plenary meeting at end of March
Uzbekistan to launch multimodal logistics center in Namangan region
World Bank Group: World Bank Financing to Help Uzbekistan Citizens Get Sustainable Health Services
Future of South Caucasus and Central Asia to be discussed in Baku within World Economic Forum

Established in 1993, the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce (AUCC) is a private, non-profit trade association representing interests of U.S. businesses ranging in size from small private enterprises to large, multinational corporations conducting business in Uzbekistan.

Our Mission: To advocate the views of the business community to ensure that private sector positions are considered during the development of key policies that impact American businesses and the future of U.S.-Uzbekistan relations.

Our Objective: To serve the needs of its members by strengthening commercial relations between the United States and Uzbekistan.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a decree "On measures on further development of alternative energy sources".

According to the decree published in mass media of the republic on Saturday, the document is adopted "in order to continue further research and pilot development at a higher technical and scientific level, practical use, taking into account the world experience, individual decisions on the use of alternative energy sources in Uzbekistan and the organization of domestic production of modern equipment and technology for the field."

In the document it is noted that in Uzbekistan considerable experience in conducting scientific and pilot studies in a scope of alternative energy sources, first of all solar energy. The scientific experimental and material base is created for more profound development and practical use of solar and biogas energy.

The conditions and objective preconditions created in Uzbekistan for practical implementation of solar energy are the basis for the pilot implementation of advanced technologies in this field not only in the country but in the whole Central Asia.

The President instructed the Cabinet of Ministers together with the Academy of Sciences and the concerned ministries and departments to develop and approve in a month the lists of experimental and pilot projects on the use of solar and biogas energy with attraction of means of Asian Development Bank and other international financial institutions.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy of Uzbekistan are in charge to make proposals in two months for stimulating manufacturers and users of solar and biogas energy, granting them with taxes and customs privileges and preferences

Besides, Islam Karimov charged to hold in 2013 in Tashkent an international conference on questions of introduction of alternative energy sources with participation of international financial institutions, leading international experts, foreign research centers and manufacturing companies of processing equipment.

In the first half of the current year the Ministry of Economics, the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, "Uzbekenergo" SAC together with the interested ministries and departments have to introduce draft law "About Alternative Energy Sources" to the government.

As it was reported earlier, according to republican experts, preserving the current trends and volumes of consumption of resources, the stocks of natural gas and coal in Uzbekistan will suffice only for the next 20-30 years while the stocks of oil are already almost exhausted.

The potential of renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan is about 51 billion tons of oil equivalent, and technical capacity is 179 82.3 million tons of oil equivalent.

Today in the structure of primary fuel and energy resources of the country 97% is occupied by oil and gas, 2,3% - by coal and 0,7% - by hydropower. The share of renewables energy sources in Uzbekistan doesn't exceed one percent.

The Senate of Uzbekistan is holding its regular 11th plenary meeting on March 28 - 29, according to official report of the press service of the upper house of the parliament.
The agenda includes several drafts including amendments to the laws "on citizens' self-governing organs", "on elections of the chairperson of citizens' meeting and his advisers", "on traffic safety" and some other laws aimed at democratization of the public authority and governance, improvement of business environment and development of entrepreneurial activity, as well as juridical and legal system.
Senators will also review the draft law on ratification of the treaty on legal aid on civil and economic affairs signed in September 2012.
During the plenary meeting they will listen to the reports on the activities of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) on Human Rights (Ombudsman) and the Account Chamber, as well as the report of the Attorney General on the conditions and measures on further enhancement of prosecutorial supervision over the implementation of current legislation on human rights and freedom, on the performance of the State committee on nature protection.
Moreover, senators will listen to the information of the ministry of justice on implementation of laws by organs of public administration and supervisory structures in 2012.
Other issues covered by the competence of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis will also be discussed at the plenary meeting, according to the report.
Uzbekistan will launch new multimodal logistics center Pap in Namangan region on 1 January 2014, UzDaily reported.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov signed appropriate resolution on 26 February 2013.
According to it, the Center will be able to process up to 4 million tonnes of freight a year.
"Pap Logistics Center should form effective logistics network to satisfy demands of business entities on rendering transport-logistics and transport-forwarding services, develop optimal schemes for cargo transportation," the resolution said.
According to the resolution, Pap Logistics Center will ensure single multimodal schemes of cargo transportation in Ferghana Valley in cooperation with Angren Logistic Center with use of specialized stations of Ferghana regional railway junctions.
Construction of the Center will be started in 2013 and will be financed due to resources of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari [Uzbekistan's Railways].

The Center was exempted from all taxes and payments to state funds and off-budget Fund for Reconstruction, capital repair and equipment of educational and healthcare establishments until 1 January 2017, the source informed.

World Bank Financing Will Help Rural and Urban Population in Seven Regions of Uzbekistan to Have Access to Quality Primary and Secondary Health Care

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 - Population of Uzbekistan will have easier access to quality primary and secondary health care. The World Bank's Board of Directors today approved a US$ 93 million Additional Financing from the International Development Association (IDA) for Uzbekistan's Health System Improvement Project (HSIP).

The proposed Additional Financing (AF) would support the scaling up of some of the activities that already constitute the original project which aims at modernizing the health care delivery system. It would provide more accessible quality and sustainable health services to the population. The original project currently covers six out of thirteen regions of Uzbekistan as well as Tashkent City. The proposed AF would cover the health facilities in the remaining seven regions of Uzbekistan as well as selected City Medical Unions.

"The project will assist Uzbekistan in scaling up major public health action through deepening ongoing health sector reforms," said Takuya Kamata, World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan."The proposed project is consistent with the current Country Partnership Strategy for fiscal years 2012-2015. It will address in a more systemic way the provision of quality hospital services to the country's population and contribute to reforming the way those services are organized and are paid for".

The Additional Financing will scale-up the following components of the original project:

  • Improving Health Service Delivery focusing on hospital services improvement, primary health care development, and clinical quality enhancement;
  • Strengthening Health Financing and Management Reforms focusing on per capita based Primary Health Care financing, hospital payment system reforms at district level and Health Financing Information System;
  • Institutional Strengthening for NCD Prevention & Control.

Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. The World Bank's mission in the country is to improve people's livelihoods through being a partner in economic reforms, supporting the modernization of the country's social sectors and infrastructure, and sharing its knowledge and experience with the government and the people of Uzbekistan.

Total current World Bank commitments to Uzbekistan amount to US$987.5million, including this additional financing operation.

On 7-8 April , the World Economic Forum will hold an event entitled 'The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the South Caucasus and Central Asia' in Baku, the WEF said.

'The South Caucasus and Central Asian region has recorded significant economic growth and development over the past decade. Individual countries have been at the forefront of this growth: Azerbaijan's economy has grown at double-digit rates over the past decade while Kazakhstan, along with other countries in the region, has made great strides in its business capacity. Potential growth for most countries is expected to reach five to seven per cent in 2013', according to a statement.

The event will assess the situation and define new opportunities in industry sectors such as natural resources, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, finance and telecommunications.


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The American-Uzbekistan
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1300 I Street, N.W.,
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phone: 202.509.3744
 
[email protected]

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