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Uzbekistan to Cover Growing Demand with Green Energy Sources

Uzbekistan has set a goal of doubling its industrial production by 2030 and plans to implement more than 500 major industrial and infrastructure projects worth $150 billion. To accomplish these ambitious goals, the country needs to have guaranteed and stable energy resources, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on December 27th, at the launch ceremony of major projects in the field of green energy. “We estimate that in the next six years, our country's electricity demand will increase from the current 83 billion to 120 billion kilowatt hours. We will cover this primarily through renewable energy sources,” Mirziyoyev said. Uzbekistan will continue its active investment policy to increase the capacity of green energy sources to 27 gigawatts by 2030, he said, adding that the country possesses enormous potential for green energy. “In order to encourage the industry, we have launched the ‘Solar House’ system to provide preferential loans and subsidies for the installation of solar panels and ensure the guaranteed purchase of generated electricity. This year alone, 50,000 households and entrepreneurs have installed solar panels in our country,” Mirziyoyev said. Currently, Uzbekistan is implementing projects for the construction of 22 solar and wind power stations with a total capacity of 9 gigawatts, and the government will create all the necessary conditions and preferences for foreign investors to implement such priority projects, Mirziyoyev concluded.

Kazakhstan Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features

EBRD to Tackle Bottlenecks on Major Logistical Hub

To tackle the identified bottlenecks within the Trans-Caspian corridor, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on December 27th its commitment to providing financial support for the enhancement of modern logistical infrastructure. The bank's loan, amounting to up to U$ 40 million, is intended for Kazakhstan’s principal private rolling stock operator, Eastcomtrans. This support aims to bolster the operator's container handling capacity, specifically targeting one of the busiest junctions near Almaty city, thereby ensuring the continuous operation of its railway fleet. Eastcomtrans, an EBRD client since 2014 and the possessor of 8% of the nation’s total rolling stock, will utilize the allocated funds, available in both US dollars and Kazakh tenge, to further advance its Zhetygen logistical center. The investment will also facilitate the acquisition of approximately 250 new railcars and the maintenance of its existing stock. Located in close proximity to the Chinese border and adjacent to Kazakhstan's largest urban area, this upgraded logistical hub will function as a pivotal point along the Trans-Caspian Corridor. It is poised to enhance the smooth flow of cargo traffic across Kazakhstan. Anticipating a surge in trade volumes, especially in container traffic between Asia and Europe, the hub's development aims to accommodate the escalating demand for freight transit.

Central Asia Turkmenistan Life & Culture Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Local Politics Local Politics Turkmenistan Features Features

Raids Target Illegal Medicine Sales in Remote Turkmen Villages

Law enforcement agencies in the Mary Velayat district have initiated crackdowns on citizens engaging in the unauthorized sales of medicines,Radio Azatlyk has reported. While these actions target what authorities deem to be illegal, individuals conducting the trades in remote areas argue that they're simply filling a crucial gap in essential healthcare access. Sellers in remote villages assert that they offer commonly used medications like analgin and paracetamol, which, to their understanding, don't require a doctor's prescription. These traders claim to have procured these medicines from city pharmacies and to simply be reselling them at a slight markup in areas lacking facilities. "Our village lacks pharmacies. Ambulance services have substantial delays, sometimes failing to arrive. People turn to us for antipyretics when they're stricken with a fever at night. We offer a service that pharmacies don't provide. We aren't breaking any laws," emphasized one villager engaged in medicine sales. Another trader echoed this sentiment, stating, "We're simply providing a service to our community." Moreover, these merchants assert that they inform local district police officers about their activities, believing this communication suffices as adherence to the regulations. However, plainclothes police officers have been actively involved in operations targeting this unauthorized trade. During these raids, authorities confiscate medicines and detain the traders, issuing substantial fines. The scenario underscores a wider issue of inadequate medical facilities and pharmacy access in rural areas. Rural residents complain about delayed and inadequate ambulance services, exacerbating their struggle to access essential medical aid. Shortages of crucial medicines in both rural and urban pharmacies have been recurrent issues in Turkmenistan. Inconsistent availability of medications was reported earlier this year, highlighting a systemic challenge. Additionally, instances of medical professionals capitalizing on pharmaceutical shortages for extra profits surfaced in December of the previous year. Trading medicines in Turkmenistan requires the possession of a valid license, and according to local legislation, sales should be conducted exclusively by individuals with a secondary or higher pharmaceutical education. This tension between unauthorized sales and healthcare gaps in remote regions presents a complex challenge in need of resolution.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Business & Economy Business & Economy Features

Uzbekistan’s Economy Resilient to Global Challenges, Says IMF

According to the IMF in analysis posted on their website, Uzbekistan’s economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience to recent global challenges. Following geopolitical shocks, the economy saw an influx of migrants and a large increase in remittances in 2022, boosting domestic demand. This, coupled with higher external demand, led to real GDP growth of 5.7% in 2022, the head of an International Monetary Fund staff team said in a statement following their visit to Uzbekistan earlier this month. While remittances have fallen this year to the trend prevailing prior to Russia’s war in Ukraine, a sizable fiscal expansion, and high wage and export growth are expected to sustain real GDP growth at 5.7% in 2023. Strong imports and declining remittances will contribute to a higher external current account deficit this year. International reserves are expected to remain ample at eight-and-a-half months of prospective imports. By the end of 2023, the 12-month inflation rate is projected to decline by more than 3% compared to the same period last year, to 9%, helped by a value-added tax rate cut, and lower international food and energy prices. The IMF says the outlook for 2024 remains positive, and while risks remain, growth is projected to remain above 5%. “Preserving macro-financial stability and continuing structural reforms are key to bolstering resilience and sustaining robust economic growth amidst the challenging current global context,” the statement said. Accelerating World Trade Organization negotiations and cooperating with neighboring countries to improve transport routes will reduce transportation costs and open new markets for Uzbekistan’s products, the IMF statement concludes.

Turkmenistan Justice Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Local Politics Local Politics Turkmenistan Features Features

OCCRP Reports on Corruption Linked to Berdimuhamedov family

The Center for Aesthetic Medicine in Ashgabat was sold at a huge discount to a company called Ashgabat International Aesthetic Medicine Center (AIATC), associated with the Berdimuhamedov family, the Center for Research on Corruption and Organized Crime (OCCRP) has reported together with the publications Turkmen.news and Gundogar. According to investigators, the Government of Turkmenistan built the center at a cost of U$51 million dollars; its official opening took place in October 2020. However, two days before the opening, the President of Turkmenistan at that time, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, signed a decree authorizing the privatization of the center without a tender. As a result, the center was sold for $ 6.5 million less than the state spent on its construction. Journalists believe that the real discount the buyers received may be much higher taking into account the unofficial exchange rate. (In 2020, the unofficial exchange rate was 23.6 manat per dollar, whilst the official rate was 3.5.). AIATC belongs to a group of seven legal entities, investigators learned from a data leak about members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan. Two of these seven companies are related to the Berdymukhamedov family. Despite the fact that the Center for Aesthetic Medicine was bought by AIATC, it is managed by the Center for Beauty and Aesthetics, the director of which is Doctor Gulya Annanepesova, who is the head of both the selling and the buying enterprise. Annanepesova has allegedly accompanied Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on official trips at least twice. In March 2017, they traveled to Qatar, and in November 2019 to Italy. Annanepesova is listed as a cosmetologist and a doctor in the lists of participants of the delegations. In 2016, Annanepesova was awarded a medal in honor of the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence. At that time, she worked at the state Center for Internal Medicine, and among her colleagues was one of the younger sisters of the president, who worked as a nurse. A year after the opening of the Center for Aesthetic Medicine, Berdimuhamedov awarded Annanepesova with a commemorative badge for services to the development of health care in Turkmenistan. She was listed in the list of awardees as the director of the Center for Beauty and Aesthetics. Annanepesova, according to the sources of the publications, is married to Maksat Geldiev, who worked in the Ministry of National Security and played an important role in the introduction of internet censorship in Turkmenistan. The Center for Aesthetic Medicine offers a wide range of cosmetology and wellness treatments, from weight loss programs to hairdressing services. The journalists drew attention to the fact that all these services do not coincide with the initiatives of the authorities, which prohibit, among other things, bright make-up and plastic surgery. The imposition of restrictions on women intensified shortly after Serdar Berdimuhamedov succeeded his father as president of the country in March 2022.

Kazakhstan Features Kazakhstan Featurees

Kazakhstan Leads Initiatives for Central Asian Trade and Connectivity

Kazakhstan's strategic location as the gateway from China's western border to Europe makes it a linchpin in the Trans-Caspian International Trade Corridor (TITR). The TITR starts from China, transits the whole width of Kazakhstan, crosses the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and Georgia, eventually reaching Europe via Turkey or the Black Sea. Although it is sometimes also called the "Middle Corridor", this latter term more properly refers to the TITR segment running from Kazakhstan to the South Caucasus. Started over six years ago as an autonomous bilateral initiative between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to bolster cross-Caspian trade, the Middle Corridor project antedates the TITR. The TITR, as well as the more limited Middle Corridor, have drawn considerable support from international financial institutions (IFIs) like the Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, as well as national development organisations including the U.S. Agency for International Development. The network of the TITR association now counts eleven participating states (Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine) as well as 25 transport and logistics companies including ports, vessels, railways and terminals. Kazakhstan's role and leadership Kazakhstan, given its geographic centrality in the region, may rightly be considered the keystone of the TITR in Central Asia, just as Azerbaijan is its keystone in the South Caucasus. Under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the country has taken significant steps towards realising the potential of this important trade route, cementing its role as a crucial Eurasian transit hub. One example demonstrating Kazakhstan’s key role is the country’s targeting of a substantial increase in cargo traffic along the TITR, with an ambitious goal of 500,000 containers per year by 2030. The roadmap between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan for the development of the Middle Corridor across the Caspian Sea is one component of Tokayev’s vision. It complements the broader economic objectives that Tokayev has established for his country's progress, but more importantly, his active engagement with IFIs and neighbouring countries underscores his commitment to greater collaborative development and regional integration. Understanding the challenges and the impact for key countries The Middle Corridor saw a 33 per cent surge in container traffic in 2022, but this has fallen significantly in 2023. That is because the dynamic growth revealed limitations such as issues at border crossings, transhipments and co-ordination, all producing lengthy transport delays. To address these challenges, Kazakhstan—along with Azerbaijan and Georgia—has initiated upgrades to the corridor. In November 2022, the three countries signed a roadmap that outlined priority actions and investments for optimising the corridor's efficiency and increasing its capacity. The TITR diversifies trade routes and reduces the dependence of countries in Central Asia and South Caucasus on Russian imports. Opening up new markets in the Middle East and North Africa (and eventually in South and Southeast Asia) will accelerate economic growth by promoting the production of more complex and value-added products. A World Bank study forecasts a 30 per cent increase in trade along the route, with Kazakhstan’s exports...