INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 214

“Investment portal of Uzbekistan”

Citizens of 76 countries will be able to get an electronic visa to Uzbekistan (List)

Uzbekistan announces visa waiver for citizens of 45 countries (List)

Important Visa Information for Indian Citizens Travelling to Uzbekistan

October 29, 2015

INFORMATION DIGEST OF PRESS OF UZBEKISTAN # 214

eCONOMY.. 2

New Holding Company in Cotton Sphere Established. 2

International Investment Forum in Tashkent (November 5-6, 2015) 2

540 solid mineral deposits proposed for investors. 2

production.. 3

Farmers to Be Equipped with Lasers. 3

export.. 3

Canned Pilaf. 3

TECHNOLOGIES. 4

IT enterprises of Uzbekistan render services worth 3.4 trillion soums. 4

 

 

eCONOMY

New Holding Company in Cotton Sphere Established

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a decree “On establishing Uzpakhtasanoatexport holding company” on 27 October 2015. 

The new company is founded in order to create a unified complex on receiving and further processing of raw cotton and export of cotton-fiber, taking into account world market requirements, to improve quality and competitiveness of cotton, fat and oil iproducts, to widely attract investments, including foreign investments, for modernization and technical and technological re-equipment of ginneries and vegetable oil enterprises of Uzbekistan.

Newly created Uzpakhtasanoatexport will be mainly responsible for receiving, processing and exporting cotton-fibre and will include Uzpakhtasanoat JSC, which will replace Uzpakhtasanoat association, Uzpakhtaexport JSC, which will be formed by transferring government shares in foreign trade companies under the Ministry of foreign economic relations, investments and trade as well as Uzpakhtayog’ JSC, which will be formed by transferring government shares in fat and oil enterprises.

Uzpakhtasanoat JSC will specialise in receiving and processing raw cotton, while Uzpakhtaexport JSC in organising storage and exporting cotton fiber. Uzpakhtayog’ JSC will operate in the sphere of producing cotton oil.

The main goals and activities of Uzpakhtasanoatexport are identified as to organise marketing research on global and regional cotton markets, to carry out a single policy on receiving and processing raw cotton and to sell cotton-fibre in international markets. It will also process cotton seeds, produce cotton oil and other related products, carry out single policy on modernization of enterprises of the industry.

A governmental commission, headed by Prime Minister Sh.Mirziyoyev is also established, which is tasked with coordinating and supporting formation of the holding company, including developing charter documents, new organisational structures and staffing of the new companies.

(Source: UzA)

International Investment Forum in Tashkent (November 5-6, 2015)

540 solid mineral deposits proposed for investors

As we reported earlier, the “Central Asian Industrial Week” is underway in the capital. As a tradition, the VIII international conference “Investment potential of solid minerals of the Republic of Uzbekistan – UZGEOINVEST-2015” took place within MiningWorld Uzbekistan.

International conference “Uzgeoinvest” allows foreign and domestic investors, entrepreneurs, experts of mining industry to establish business contacts for mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of mining.

– In the framework of the conference, 540 solid mineral deposits to create new industries and meet the needs of various industries and agriculture are presented to attention of investors. Among them, 462 deposits are deposits of building materials, 37 – mining products, 30 – precious raw materials and 11 – mining and chemical raw materials, – said during the event the Deputy Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Geology and Mineral Resources Aslon Mavlonov.

According to speakers, the established regulatory framework also greatly stimulates the exploration of promising areas by investors. For example, legal and physical persons, financing the works on geological study of subsoil have the exclusive right to obtain a license for mining on the deposit they had explored.

– In this regard, over 200 proposals for exploration within blocks of investment and promising areas are prepared, including 38 areas presented to the attention of investors.  Proposals presented to investors have prospects for identifying uranium deposits of tungsten, lithium and other rare metals, and are given on terms of agreements on production of joint ventures, etc. The list of such objects is approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, -said Aslon Mavlonov.

The conference also saw non-traditional investment destination – geotourism – a rapidly developing sector of the global tourism industry. As was noted, more than 100 areas were identified within this new direction. Those areas can claim the status of geological monuments and geoparks.

The VIII International conference “Investment potential of solid minerals of the Republic of Uzbekistan – UZGEOINVEST-2015” saw over 200 professionals representing domestic and foreign mining and consulting companies, as well as representatives of scientific institutions.

(Source: UzReport.uz)

production

Farmers to Be Equipped with Lasers

In the coming years, domestic farmers are intending to significantly enhance rational water use and crop yields through the use of a laser.

The Year 2015 has turned a landmark for the domestic agricultural machinery: Uzbekistan has become the first in Central Asia to launch the production of laser planners, partnered by Italian investors.

According to experts, introduction of innovative technologies into agricultural practices would allow rational use of water and energy resources and maintain soil fertility. For example, a farmer might save 15-20% of water and increase the yield by 5-10%.

Import substitution is another important point to mention. Until now, the equipment of this kind was purchased in China, Pakistan, Germany and Switzerland. Meanwhile, the domestic manufacture has been launched this year at the Chirchiqmashagro Company.

The foreign partner provided the Uzbek side with unique designs, technical drawings and experts to train the local staff. The company has already released the first batch of trial planners that are currently tested in the fields of the country.

In the future it is planed to develop the manufacture of different Italian devices like zero seeders, breastless plows, rotary harrows and rotary tillers. The production of 50 planners has been scheduled for 2015, in 2016 their production will triple up to 150, and to 215 by 2019.

Chirchiqmashagro is so far the only manufacturer of laser planners in the Central Asian region, promising good exports. According to preliminary estimates, starting with 2016, Uzbekistan will annually export about 50 items of equipment in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, with 5 percent increase each year.

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

export

Canned Pilaf

The Tashkent canned pilaf has made a lot of noise, despite its short business career. The manufacture of one of the symbols of Uzbek hospitality has been first launched in January, 2015. Today, it enters the CIS markets.

According to representatives of the Inter Plast Tashkent company, the manufacturer of the pilaf, initially had some doubts about the people’s attitude to the canned rice, which is cooked on every corner?

Despite this, the manufacture was built in Sergeli district of Tashkent with a capacity of about one million cans per month.

The formulation was another important point. There are hundreds of them, while the wedding Tashkent pilaf is considered one of the most delicious ones. The technology of its manufacture and conservation is a producer’s know-how. The general process is the same as everywhere else – a group of chefs cook pilaf in 120-kilogram cauldrons in the morning. Then the technological lines portion it in cans 335 and 670 grams each with a shelf life of two years. Foreigners, tourists and foreign markets are the major customers. The company primarily focuses on exports. Nearly 60,000 canned pilaf was delivered to Kazakhstan. Negotiations with Russia are currently is progress.

The company has recently participated with its product in Moscow food exhibition. The interest was great, especially in the representatives of the Far East and Siberia. These days they are currently negotiating on supply contracts in Moscow and Vladivostok. Customers from China and Iran are actively interested in the product.

It is planned to expand the range through other national Uzbek dishes. However, the company’s representatives keep it secret. It is known that new items will appear in the beginning of next year.

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

 

TECHNOLOGIES

IT enterprises of Uzbekistan render services worth 3.4 trillion soums

October 27 saw the meeting of the Collegium of the Ministry for development of information technologies and communications, which summed up the development results of the sphere of information technologies and communications in the first nine months of 2015.

As was noted at the meeting, enterprises of the sphere of communication, informatization and telecommunication technologies during the reporting period rendered services worth 3.4 trillion soums (growth in comparison with the similar period of 2014 amounted to 16.4%) (currency rates of CB RU from 29.10.2015   1$= 2677.75  soums).

The total speed of use of international information networks rose by 27.7% compared with the beginning of 2015 and amounted to 21.25 Gbit/s.

The number of ports installed to provide fixed broadband access to the Internet was brought to 716.9 thousand and the number of used ports increased by 21.5%. The growth of both indicators will allow providing multiservice broadband services (IPTV, video telephony, high-speed Internet, data transmission, the ability to view HDTV channels, etc.).

The meeting analyzed the status of port operations to provide broadband telecommunication services in the regions. The need for rational and universal port operation for the provision of broadband services through FTTx technology, as well as improvement of technical services for rapid response to requests of the consumers of telecommunication services were noted as well.

(Source: UzReport.uz)

Reference to the source is a must in reproducing materials