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Job Creation Main Task of Government in 2024, Says PM

The creation of at least 250,000 jobs is one of the most important tasks of the Cabinet of Ministers for 2024, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov stated at a cabinet meeting on January 11th. “This year should be a breakthrough in all respects,” the minister said. “Yesterday marked three years since Sadyr Japarov became president. During this time, we have managed to do a lot, and we are already seeing the results of this work.” Japarov went on saying that the creation of new industries, the development of the agricultural sector, the opening of new mining projects, the launch of railway construction and building large hydropower facilities will speed up the implementation of the goals planned for 2024. “In the near future, a list of a hundred large industrial facilities that should be launched this year will be approved,” said Japarov. Addressing an acute shortage of qualified labor in the construction and clothing industries, Japarov said that “many clothing enterprises have to attract foreign labor, while our citizens are in labor migration outside the country. Therefore, this whole range of issues should be a priority for all government bodies.”

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Bishkek Delegation Visits Chinese Solid Waste Enterprise

Mayor Zhyrgalbek Shamyraliev, together with a group of his representatives and Ulana Bakirova, an expert from the Information Policy Service of the Presidential Administration, visited Hunan Junxing Company in Changsha, China. The purpose of their visit was to study advanced waste treatment methods and familiarize themselves with the transportation and logistics complex. Hunan Junxing is a high-tech enterprise engaged in the development and implementation of innovative methods for municipal solid waste treatment, municipal wastewater treatment, landfill leachate treatment, fly ash utilization, and other types of waste. The technologies used include advanced methods of physical and chemical treatment and mechanical sorting, which allows the company to effectively solve the problems of environmental pollution and waste utilization. During the visit, the delegation was shown the transshipment complex of the Hunan Junxing Company, and received information on the operation of the waste utilization plant. The potential prospects for the application of technologies implemented in Changsha being adopted in Bishkek were high on the agenda. At the end of the meeting, a ceremony was held with the company gifting two advanced garbage trucks to the Bishkek administration. During the visit, a meeting was also held with Gao Wenqi, Deputy Mayor of the People's Government of Changsha, wherein the parties discussed the development of infrastructure of the city, and prospects for cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, culture, and the social sphere.

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Bishkek in Top Ten Cities with Highest Level of Air Pollution

On January 3rd at 18:00, Bishkek entered the top ten cities globally with the highest levels of air pollution, clocking in at number seven according data compiled by AirNow, which reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI). According to the website, at this time the city was marked as "unhealthy", with an aAQI of 158. An air quality monitoring station has been installed on the territory of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, which updates information every hour. The Air Quality Index is divided into six categories reflecting the level of health hazards. An AQI value above 300 is considered dangerous, whilst a value below 50 is considered good.

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President Speaks about Fighting Corruption, New Trade Routes in Eurasia

On December 15th, President Sadyr Japarov addressed the second People’s Kurultai, a national assembly of representatives of the public, to discuss current issues of national importance and develop joint proposals to promote reforms. In his speech, the President laid particular emphasis on the fight against corruption. “Corruption is a social evil not only of our people, but of all countries of the world. Because of corruption, our country did not develop for almost 30 years, only a few people became rich, and the common people lived in poverty. Currently, anti-corruption measures are in full swing. Billions of dollars are being returned to state coffers,” Japarov said, adding that a war is also being waged against organized criminal groups. “No investor will invest money in a country with criminal elements. In addition, some officials continue to obstruct investors and engage in bribery and lobbying. All these phenomena harm the image of the country. In this regard, the merciless fight against corruption will continue and intensify,” the President promised. President Japarov also touched upon the topic of new trade routes for Kyrgyzstan. “Kyrgyzstan is located on a unique trade route — the Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia. Occupying a convenient geographical location on trade routes, our country can become a bridge between East and West. For this purpose, a new multimodal transport route, the ‘Southern Corridor’ is being developed. In addition, work is underway to open a southern air corridor, which will strengthen air traffic between Kyrgyzstan and China, and connect the airports of Osh and Kashgar. “At the same time, construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway will begin in the near future. The pilot project for transporting cargo containers in transit by rail from China to Afghanistan via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will continue. The issue of launching a pilot container train linking Iran–Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan is also being considered. I am confident that these initiatives and ongoing projects will allow Kyrgyzstan to reach a new level of transport and logistics communication with the outside world,” President Japarov concluded.

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World Bank to Help Kyrgyzstan Reduce Air Pollution

The World Bank and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision (MNRETS) of the Kyrgyz Republic on December 12th hosted a stakeholder meeting to launch the World Bank's new report, Air Quality Analysis for Bishkek: PM2.5 Source Apportionment and Emission Reduction Measures, according to a statement on the World Bank website. The World Bank conducted this study in close coordination with MNRETS Hydrometeorological Service (Kyrgyzhydromet) under the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Bishkek Municipality to evaluate the air quality in Bishkek, focusing on PM2.5 pollution. Exposure to fine inhalable particles (PM2.5 with a diameter of 2.5 micro-meters or less) poses serious health risks, including respiratory infections, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and premature deaths. In Bishkek, the average annual PM2.5 concentrations in 2022 surpassed the WHO guideline value of 5 µg/m3 by nearly sevenfold. During the last several winters, average daily concentrations of PM2.5 were often above 200 µg/m3, surpassing the WHO guideline of 15 µg/m3 by more than 13 times and placing Bishkek among the world’s most polluted cities. The losses caused by air pollution in Bishkek are estimated to be equivalent to 1.2% of the Kyrgyz Republic’s GDP, while air pollution at country level is estimated cost 5.1% of the GDP. In line with priorities and recommendations identified in the study, the World Bank jointly with MNRETS, KyrgyzHydromet and Bishkek Municipality has prepared a $50 million Kyrgyz Republic Air Quality Improvement Project to help the country reduce air pollution and the adverse effects it has on public health and the economy. This project is expected to not only directly benefit residents of Bishkek by improving the city’s air quality, but will also support the establishment of a sound Air Quality Management System that will drive policy actions for air quality improvement, aiming to mitigate the impact of air pollution on public health and economic development across the country.

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Civil Liberties Worsening in Kyrgyzstan Says Civicus Monitor

This year, Kyrgyzstan became one of the seven countries whose annual ranking in terms of civil liberties worsened. This is according to the report, "People's Power under Attack - 2023" published by global civil society alliance, Civicus Monitor. The methodology applied by Civicus Monitor sees countries divided into five categories depending on the points scored: countries with open (free) civil space, narrowed (freedoms are partially limited), partially closed (oppressive civil liberties), suppressed and closed. Kyrgyzstan scored 40 out of 100 points, and was therefore classified as a State with a suppressed (repressed) civil space. Since 2018, the republic has been included in the category of countries with a partially closed civil space. The reasons for this downgrade were the promotion of draft laws restricting the activities of NGOs and the media, increased pressure on independent media, criminal prosecution of civil society activists, journalists and other critics of the government, and long-term ban on peaceful assemblies in the central districts of Bishkek. Neighbors in the region also received relatively low ratings, with Turkmenistan (8 points), Tajikistan (12 points) and Uzbekistan (18 points) classified as countries with a closed civil space, whilst Kazakhstan (27 points) was classified as a state with a suppressed civil space. According to the authors, almost a third of humanity now lives in countries with a closed civil space. This is the highest percentage (30.6%) living in the most restrictive environment since the first Civicus Monitor report in 2018. Only 2.1% of people live in open states where civil space is both free and protected. This is half as much as six years ago, the report says.