TASHKENT (TCA) — For the first time in Uzbekistan’s history, the share of investment in the country’s gross domestic product has exceeded 38 percent. In previous years, this figure had not reached 25 percent, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a government meeting on August 14 to discuss the results of socio-economic development in the country in the first half of 2019 and priority tasks for the second half of the year, the president’s official website reported.

It was said that this year, declared as the Year of Active Investments and Social Development in Uzbekistan, large-scale efforts are underway to attract and develop investments, primarily foreign direct investment.

In the first half of the year, indicators of the development of foreign direct investment grew 2.7-fold, while funds drawn from international financial institutions increased 3.7-fold.

During the period, the country’s gross domestic product increased by 5.8 percent and industrial production grew 6.9 percent.

The president stressed the need for a radical reform of the banking system, introduction of new types of banking services and improving their quality.

In the first six months of the year, inflation amounted to 5.6 percent and did not exceed forecast indicators.

The president also spoke about boosting the role of manufacturing industry in the economy.

“Over the past year, the share of industry in gross domestic product has grown from 26 to 30 percent, but this still does not correspond to the scale of the reforms we started,” Mirziyoyev said.

BISHKEK (TCA) — The former British Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Robin Ord-Smith, has been appointed the country’s business ombudsman, according to a decree signed by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziyev on August 15, the Government’s website reported.

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KABUL (TCA) — The UK and the European Union have reaffirmed their support to the Afghan presidential elections scheduled for September 28 amid hopes and skepticism concerning a possible peace deal between the US and the Taliban and a week after the hardline group warned Afghan citizens to avoid attending election campaign gatherings as Taliban fighters have been ordered to target campaign rallies throughout the country, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — In a bid to boost its tourism industry, Uzbekistan, starting from 1 January 2020, will introduce 30-day visa-free travel for tourists from 20 more countries, mostly in Central America, and partly compensate the expenses of tour operators and charter flight organizers if they bring in foreign tourists to the Central Asian country. The moves are stipulated by a presidential decree issued this week.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a new law on August 13 which allows the privatization of non-agricultural land for the first time in the country’s history, Xinhua news agency reported.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakhstan is strengthening its commitment to improving the safety of raw milk and dairy products with the signing of a roadmap in the country’s capital Nur-Sultan that will bring the national dairy industry to the level of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) standards, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reported on its website on August 14.

The roadmap aims to provide transparent and comprehensive monitoring of animal health. It will include measures such as testing raw milk, both at the receiving laboratories in factories and some others. This testing will determine the current degree of compliance and evaluate the readiness of national laboratories to conduct the necessary tests. The roadmap will also promote inclusiveness by sharing knowledge and best practices.

The document is the initiative of the Dairy Union of Kazakhstan, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The roadmap was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and by the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Ministry of Trade and Integration). It was supported by the Chamber of Entrepreneurs, the Consumer Protection Union, and the dairy companies of Kazakhstan.

It is part of a larger initiative to develop an inclusive dairy industry in Kazakhstan, supported by the EBRD and FAO.

The development of the livestock sector is supported by the government of Kazakhstan with a national programme aimed at fostering the country’s dairy industry growth and overcoming remaining bottlenecks.

Most of the country’s raw milk – around 3.9 million tonnes of marketable milk per year – comes from small family farms. Milk yields are low compared to those of neighbouring countries, and availability is seasonal. Milk safety parameters often fall short of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) standard requirements.

The EBRD and FAO will continue working with Kazakhstan’s livestock industry to align safety standards with those of the EEU, EU and China, in order to create export opportunities for Kazakh producers.

The cooperation will include a wide range of activities including study tours for Kazakhstan dairy industry representatives, know-how transfer, capacity-building and many others.

The EBRD has invested €8.2 billion through 262 projects in Kazakhstan. Of this total, €798 million has been invested through 56 projects in the agribusiness sector.

The FAO Liaison and Partnership Bureau in Kazakhstan is implementing 8 national and regional projects in Kazakhstan for a total of US$ 3.1 million in various areas. FAO’s project pipeline in Kazakhstan includes 17 projects with approved funding totalling US$ 12.2 million. They are designed to contribute to food security in Kazakhstan and the region.

The Dairy Union of Kazakhstan is the national voice of the milk-processing sector, representing the public-policy and regulatory interests of Kazakhstan’s dairy processors. Its members represent some of the most recognised brands in the country and provide for some 70 per cent of the retail market.