• KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01149 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09143 -0.22%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 -0.42%
23 December 2024

Viewing results 325 - 330 of 638

Uzbekistan’s Gold and Currency Reserves Reach Record Levels

As of September 1, Uzbekistan's international reserves reached $39.15 billion. This reserve value is a record indicator for after 2018 when data disclosure began. In August, the value of international assets increased by $1.75 billion, or about 4.7%, compared to July's increase of $1.06 billion. This increase was mainly due to gold. Although the net physical volume of gold in official reserves decreased from 12.1 ounces to 12 ounces during August, the metal's price on the world market has increased significantly. Due to this, the value of the gold part of reserves increased by $1.24 billion or 4.4% to $30.39 billion in one month. Since the beginning of 2024, the price of gold has risen by 20% on the world market. Last month, the price of standard gold bullion exceeded a million dollars for the first time in history. Uzbekistan was one of the countries that bought the most gold in July. In August, reserve assets in foreign currencies increased from $7.68 billion to $8.19 billion (+ $503.1 million). Uzbekistan’s gold-currency reserves have increased by $4.59 billion or 13.3% since the beginning of the year. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Uzbekistan’s gold reserves reached $37.4 billion in August.

Kazakhstan Proposes to Abolish Compulsory Military Conscription

In Kazakhstan, activists have led calls to abolish compulsory military service by publishing a petition on the epetition.kz platform directed to the Ministry of Defense. The petition has been provoked by recent tragic cases among servicemen, which, the document's authors say, revealed severe problems in the Kazakh army. The petition emphasizes that the main issues are hazing and non-statutory relations, which exert strong pressure on conscripts, causing psychological trauma and, in some cases, suicide. The authors are also concerned about soldiers' inadequate training. They believe modern challenges and technologies can be effectively countered only by professional soldiers, not temporarily conscripted ones. The authors cite weak medical and psychological supervision as one of the military's critical problems, as it does not help conscripts adapt to army conditions. They propose a switch to a thoroughly professional army, which they believe would improve training and reduce the number of tragic incidents. The petition will be open until October 4. To be considered by the government, a petition in Kazakhstan must garner at least 50,000 votes. In recent years, Kazakhstan has observed an alarming increase in suicides among soldiers. In 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered an investigation to identify the causes of these incidents. Hazing and psychological pressure remains one of the key causes of these tragedies. Despite the measures taken, such incidents continue. Last month Kazakhstan was shocked by the death of a conscripted soldier in the Mangistau region. According to some reports, an officer shot the enlisted man in the face with a pistol.

Kyrgyzstan Wants to Fine Emigrants Who Leave Their Children at Home

Kyrgyzstan has proposed introducing liability for parents who go to work abroad and leave their children without proper custody. The bill was initiated by the Ministry of Labor and has been submitted for public discussion. It is planned to introduce the concept of “children of migrant workers” into the Children's Code. According to the Ministry of Labor, in the first quarter of this year, about 85,000 children were identified, half of whom are with relatives without legal guardianship. The Ministry emphasizes that parents' absence leads to a lack of love and care; many are forced to work and do not attend school. The new bill proposes fines of 15,000 KGS ($181) for parents who leave their children in the care of relatives, neighbors, children, or acquaintances without notifying the guardianship authorities. Similar measures to protect migrant children exist in other countries. For example, in Uzbekistan, a project was launched in 2018 to support children left behind by parents who go to work abroad. The project is supported by UNICEF and funded by the European Union. It aims to provide social and legal assistance to children without officially appointed guardians. According to the research data, many children are left with relatives without legal guardianship, leading to various social problems that require state support.

Uzbekistan’s Point Man Against Russian “Chauvinism”

Alisher Qodirov is 49 years old, the leader of Uzbekistan’s Milli Tiklanish (National Revival) party, the deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament, and a former presidential candidate. And Qodirov is also a leading critical voice in Uzbekistan regarding the country’s Soviet past and comments of current Russian chauvinists. On September 4, Qodirov wrote on his Telegram account that Soviet ideological propaganda should be banned in Uzbekistan. He was responding to a court verdict earlier that day against a 74-year-old pensioner in Samarkand who was found guilty of “encroaching on the constitutional order of Uzbekistan.” Specifically, the man advocated the restoration of the Soviet Union and said Uzbekistan’s independence was superficial. Qodirov wrote that Uzbekistan’s time as a Soviet republic was a “sad period of our history.” The Milli Tiklanish leader said even suggesting a recreation of the USSR was a “betrayal of our people and our ancestors, who became victims of the bloody regime.” Qodirov continued that calls for Uzbekistan‘s reincorporation into some sort of a resurrected USSR “should be considered a crime against the constitutional order of the country.” The Milli Tiklanish leader said such thinking was a “betrayal of our people and our ancestors, who became victims of the bloody regime.” Qodirov has expressed his opinion on the Soviet Union before. When Uzbekistan marked May Day on May 1, 2021, the Soviet flag was raised during a concert of “Songs of Victory” in Tashkent. Posting on Telegram, Qodirov called the incident “an insult and a provocation… to the Uzbek people to raise the flag of the Soviet occupying state in the very center of the capital, which is soaked in the blood of… our ancestors.” Russian chauvinism has been rising since the Kremlin launched its full-scale war on Ukraine, and so have irredentist remarks from people on Russian television and officials in the State Duma. Kazakhstan, which shares a 7,800-kilometer border with Russia, is usually the target, but in the last year, Uzbekistan has been mentioned. On December 20, 2023, Russian writer, nationalist, and co-chairman of the A Just Russia – For the Truth party, Zakhar Prilepin spoke about migrant laborers at press conference in Moscow. The majority of migrant laborers in Russia are from Central Asia and Prilepin said, “These territories, from where migrant workers come to us, should simply be annexed entirely.” Prilepin specifically mentioned Uzbekistan, as more than half the Central Asian migrant laborers in Russia come from there. “Uzbekistan, for example… since two million of your citizens are on our territory, we claim your territory,” Prilepin told a press conference, and added, “Who will forbid us to do anything useful on the territory of the Eurasian territory after the parade in Kyiv? No one.” Less than one month later, on January 22, 2024, Russia’s NTV television station showed an interview with a person identified as Mikhail Smolin, a historian. Smolin absurdly claimed the Uzbek nation never existed until after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Smolin said the same about Kazakhs and Azerbaijanis....

Kyrgyzstan Forecasts Five-Year Budget Surplus

The Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan has published a forecast of total revenue for the next five years, indicating that by 2029, the country's state budget revenue will grow to KGS 655 billion ($7.8 billion). At the end of 2024, Kyrgyzstan's state budget surplus will amount to KGS 11.2 billion ($131.7 million), while revenue this year amounted to KGS 414 billion ($4.8 billion). As  previously reported by TCA, the introduction of cash registers and the fight against crime have impacted on growth. Another contributing factor was mentioned by Head of the Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, who stated, “In fiscal policy, we are adopting technology that is fit for the times. Taxpayers are pleased with these changes. They no longer have to wait in queues; they can quickly file reports and receive the necessary documents online.” He also commended the promotion of domestic and foreign investments and the development of Kyrgyzstan's industrial sector which facilitate the growth of the republic's economy and, in turn, state budget revenue: “Since the beginning of 2024, 29 enterprises have been put into operation. Major projects are being implemented, such as constructing the Kambarata hydroelectric power plant and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad. There are plans to develop the tourism sector." The Kyrgyz Finance Ministry said in a report that the annual growth in state budget revenue will provide a surplus which will be used to repay public debt.  The state budget is currently projected to receive KGS 414.5 billion ($4.8 billion) in 2024, KGS 465 billion ($5.4 billion) in 2025, KGS 505 billion ($5.9 billion) in 2026, and KGS 655 billion ($7.7 billion) in 2029. In a statement to TCA, the Finance Minister explained, “Large expenditures are projected for the medium term to pay down public debt. The projected budget surplus will be used for expenditures related to activities of economic orientation and covering the state's liabilities."

Turkmenistan Tries to Eradicate Soviet Imagery

A campaign to fight symbols of the former Soviet Union, such as the hammer and sickle and the Soviet flag, has been launched in Turkmenistan's Balkan region. Authorities have involved national security and internal affairs officers, actively cracking down on clothing and accessories with Soviet symbols. According to residents, law enforcement agencies interrogate entrepreneurs selling such goods and even those wearing them. These operations take place in the markets and stores of Balkanabad and Turkmenbashi. “At Kenar market, I saw police seizing t-shirts, caps, notebooks, and other items with communist symbols while questioning sellers about the origin of these goods,” a resident of the region said. The active fight against Soviet symbols reportedly began in September, coinciding with preparations to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence. The country gained independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although Turkmenistan did not openly discuss the Soviet legacy for a long time, the process of decommunization did take place — many towns and villages named after Soviet figures were renamed. Turkmen authorities continue to create a national ideology, emphasizing the country's independence and identity within a new historical identity. The Balkan region added: “In western Turkmenistan, at various events and gatherings, people in their 50s have increasingly started to start conversations and praise the Soviet era. They say that during the Soviet times, one ruble could buy many things: a box of matches for 1 kopeck, 10 rubles could buy a 50-kilogram sack of flour, and now we can't buy meat or candy for months. There are more and more such people. They say that soon the USSR will be restored, and the communists will rule the world again.” The Times of Central Asia has written about a 74-year-old resident of Uzbekistan, Ergashkul Hasanov, who was convicted for spreading "propaganda" for the restoration of the USSR.