Page 937 – The Times Of Central Asia

11 Dec 2023

Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

ADB to Improve 700 km of Rural Roads in Uzbekistan

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

ADB to Improve 700 km of Rural Roads in Uzbekistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $240 million loan to improve 700 kilometers of rural roads in Uzbekistan, making them safer and more climate-resilient in order to enhance connectivity and promote rural development, the Bank said on December 11^th.

“With almost half of double-landlocked Uzbekistan’s population living in rural areas that rely on agriculture as the main source of livelihood, connectivity is critical,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia, Yevgeniy Zhukov. “Keeping rural communities connected to markets and services through safe, reliable, and climate-resilient rural roads is essential to achieve inclusive, sustainable economic development.”

Aligned with the government’s National Development Strategy 2030 and the Rural Road Strategy 2035, the project marks a key initiative to kickstart the government’s Rural Road Program. It will focus on local and inter-farm rural roads in twelve regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The improvements aim to enhance capacity, quality, connectivity, ensuring safety and climate resilience through reinforced embankments, bridges, culverts, and drainage systems.

As a pioneering effort in Uzbekistan and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the project will provide rural communities and farmers with all-weather access to markets, schools, health services, and district centers.

“ADB will help strengthen the operational capacity of both the Committee for Roads and local governments for the sustainable maintenance of rural roads,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist, Yongkeun Oh. “We will support the implementation of a web and GIS-based rural road asset management system to improve decision-making and planning capabilities, leading to more efficient maintenance and resource allocation.”

To capitalize on improved access to markets and economic opportunities, the project also aims to empower rural women through training in sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient practices. Community development facilities will be upgraded to provide entrepreneurship and livelihood skills training, alongside campaigns to raise awareness about gender violence and road safety.

11 Dec 2023

Tajikistan, Tajikistan Business Economy, Tajikistan Home

IFC Improves Business Environment in Tajikistan with New e-Services System

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

As outlined in a press release on the IFC website, a new online e-system for businesses in Tajikistan developed with IFC support is being launched to help the government increase transparency, reduce its administrative burden, and improve the country’s investment climate, the IFC (a member of the World Bank Group) said on December 11^th.

The IFC has been working with Tajikistan’s State Committee on Investment and State Property Management for almost two years to help develop the new e-Services for Business System with support from the government of Switzerland.

The new portal consists of: an e-Registry database comprising all existing licenses and permission documents with details of their issuance; an e-Inspection system to enable the planning and conduction of inspections and report results online; and an e-Permit platform to apply for licenses and permission documents.

The new online system will help increase the transparency of activities and services provided by state authorities and minimize costs for the private sector to access information, apply for licenses and permits, provide feedback, and report on problems in the work of inspection and licensing bodies.

“Simplifying administrative procedures and reducing the state impact on business activities by – among other things – reducing the number of inspections is essential to improve business confidence and attract investment,” said Khurshedai Qodir, Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management.

The portal will also enable the committee to have valuable real-time data on the number of inspections conducted and licenses and permits requested and issued. It will also enable monitoring of the extent to which state bodies comply with legal requirements in carrying out their duties.

“Developing Tajikistan’s private sector without improving the conditions it operates in is practically impossible,” said Farukh Sultonov, IFC Country Officer in Tajikistan. “Accessible administrative systems are key to help public authorities cut bureaucracy, reduce costs and time for the private sector, and strengthen the country’s investment climate.”

11 Dec 2023

Kazakhstan Local Politics, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Local Politics, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan to Reduce Dependence on Water from Neighboring Countries

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Issues of modernizing water infrastructure and improving the water resources management system were discussed at a meeting of the Water Council of Kazakhstan chaired by Prime Minister, Alikhan Smailov, A post on the PM’s official website states.

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov reported that Kazakhstan has 102.3 km3 of water, 54% of which is formed within the country, and the remaining 46% coming from neighboring countries. The annual consumption by economic sectors is about 25 km3 of water, of which 65% is used for agriculture, and 25% for industrial needs.

To ensure the country’s water security and solve the problem of shortages, a draft Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Water Resources for 2024-2030 has been developed. It provides for a number of urgent measures for the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs, and the reconstruction of hydraulic structures and irrigation systems. Implementation of the plan will increase available water resources by 3.7 cubic kilometers, and the area of irrigated land to 2.2 million hectares, as well as reduce annual losses of irrigation water by 3 cubic kilometers.

In 2024-2026, it is planned to begin construction of 20 new reservoirs with a volume of 2.4 cubic kilometers in nine regions. This will increase the area of irrigated land by 250,000 hectares and reduce Kazakhstan’s dependence on neighboring countries for its water supply by an average of 25%.

“We must annually introduce water-saving technologies on 150,000 hectares of irrigated lands. Now, implementation is carried out on 40-50,000 hectares per year. At the same time, in the southern regions where there is the greatest water shortage, the volume of implementation is the smallest,” said Smailov.

11 Dec 2023

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Home

28 Citizens of Kazakhstan Evacuated from Gaza Strip

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

According to the representative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Egypt, 28 citizens of Kazakhstan have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Egypt. According to preliminary data, there are still estimated to be ten Kazakhstan nationals trapped there. “Regarding their evacuation, everything depends on the current military situation, and on whether they will be able to reach Egypt,” said Sanjar Ualikhanov, Adviser to the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Egypt.

Oksana Helles, a citizen of Kazakhstan who had been living in Palestine addressed the situation: “Recently, we had been living in the Gaza Strip. My husband is still there, and I take this opportunity to ask for help so that he can also come to me and reunite our family. He works as a doctor, and I also worked as a nurse. We had five children, and about two weeks ago my daughter was killed; she was 19-years-old and six months pregnant. She died along with her husband, his nephews and parents.”

“I am a Palestinian, but I studied in Kazakhstan, graduated from a medical university there, and married a Kazakh, so I’m also a citizen of Kazakhstan,” said another evacuee, Elyanakh Akhmet. “Since the war began, it’s been a frightening ordeal for us. We had been building our lives for so many years, and everything was destroyed in an instant.”

All the evacuees expressed their great gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Egypt, and asked for further help.

11 Dec 2023

Justice, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Uzbekistan Justice, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Company in Uzbekistan Sanctioned by UK

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

British authorities have recently imposed fresh sanctions targeting individuals and entities suspected of aiding the “Russian military apparatus,” which notably includes Uzbekistan-based company Mvizion. This expanded sanctions list encompasses 46 entities linked to weapons production or the import of defense goods for Russia, comprising thirty foreign enterprises, among them those from Uzbekistan.

A statement from UK authorities outlined, “Today’s measures will prevent Putin from outfitting his military through intermediary supply chains in Belarus, China, Serbia, Turkey, the UAE, and Uzbekistan,” citing Mvizion’s role as an intermediary in supplying spare parts to Russia.

Mvizion had previously been sanctioned by the United States in November, linked by the US Department of Commerce to drone production for the Russian armed forces.

The Unified State Register of Enterprises and Organizations shows Mvizion’s registration on June 14, 2022, with its primary activity listed as the “wholesale of electronic and telecommunication equipment and related spare parts.” Igor Nikolaevich Ievlev is identified as the sole founder and director.

David O’Sullivan, the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions, addressed Uzbekistan’s efforts to counter the re-export of European goods under sanctions to Russia, emphasizing the significance of economic diversification for the country. “We do not intend to disrupt Uzbekistan’s traditional trade relations,” he emphasized.

11 Dec 2023

Kyrgyzstan Justice, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Home

Civil Liberties Worsening in Kyrgyzstan Says Civicus Monitor

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

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.