Author: root_super

In a spirit of open dialogue and lively discussion, the influence and role of a political party in society are evaluated based on how well it protects the interests of its electorate and how boldly and justly it addresses local issues. From this perspective, the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (PDPU) set 82 priorities during the 2019 parliamentary and local council elections, and to date, more than 70 of these have been practically implemented. Members of the PDPU faction have made proposals on 206 draft laws aimed at reflecting the rights and interests of their electorate. The majority of over 2,600 citizen appeals have been resolved fairly.

These significant achievements were highlighted at the Plenary Session of the Central Council of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. Initially, the activities of the PDPU faction in the lower house of parliament and the party’s Executive Committee were reviewed, and urgent tasks ahead were listed.

Ulugbek Inoyatov, the Chairman of the Central Council of the PDPU and the leader of its faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, provided information on the agenda issues, emphasizing the priority areas.

The meeting, held on the basis of open dialogue, lively discussion, and specific proposals, put forward recommendations to further strengthen the activities of the faction members, develop draft laws, improve law enforcement practices, increase the responsibility of executive bodies, and actively cooperate with the party and the parliamentary corps.

At the Plenary Session, Zulfiya Tuyeva, Chairman of the PDPU Bukhara Regional Council, and Zakirjon Zokhidov, Chairman of the PDPU Fergana Regional Council, spoke. They emphasized the importance of the contributions of local councils in fulfilling the responsible and honorable tasks facing the party at a high level.

Relevant decisions were made on the issues discussed at the Plenary Session.

Laziza Sherova,
Correspondent of “Uzbekistan Voice”.

According to the United Nations, 1.2 billion people lived in poverty worldwide in 2022. But what about Uzbekistan? To be honest, until 2020, we knew nothing about it because it was not openly discussed. Were there no poor people before then? Of course, there were. But no one knew the exact number of poor people in Uzbekistan because, for years, neither the term nor the existence of a poor population in the country was acknowledged.

It was only in 2020 that the President of Uzbekistan spoke from an official podium about the country’s poverty level and the fight against it. At that time, our leader announced that the poverty rate in our country was around 12-15 percent. This means that 4-5 million people lack sufficient income sources and need social protection. Poverty has always existed and is present in every country. This cannot be denied. The main issue is how to fight against poverty, how state and society efforts are united and directed towards a clear goal. The key is to approach the problem correctly. Considering this, the issue of reducing poverty came to the forefront.

How is Uzbekistan Fighting Poverty?

A few years ago, the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction was specially established to regulate the processes of reducing poverty. With the involvement of international experts, it was decided to develop a Poverty Reduction Strategy until 2030. Together with local state and public representatives, “iron books” were created to support needy families and those requiring material assistance and support.

It was established as a nationwide movement to reduce poverty levels in the regions, actively support small businesses and family entrepreneurship, improve the system of vocational training, and provide targeted support to the needy population.

In 2021, for the first time in Uzbekistan, the legal basis for the concept of poverty was established. Accordingly, minimum social standards and the poverty line were set, with minimum consumption expenditures defined as the measure of poverty in the country.

To determine eligibility for children’s allowances and material assistance, the monthly income per capita was equated to the minimum consumption expenditures, i.e., the poverty line.

Minimum consumption expenditures (the cost of more than 30 types of food and non-food goods and services) were adopted as the poverty criterion, and families with income below this amount were entitled to receive low-income benefits.

Another Important Issue

A social protection strategy for the population was adopted until 2030. The National Social Protection Agency under the President of Uzbekistan, its branches in all regions, and “Human” social service centers in every city and district of the republic were established.

“The national poverty line based on minimum consumption expenditures was approved.

For Information:

As a new measure of poverty in Uzbekistan, minimum consumption expenditures were introduced. The amount was 440,000 soums in 2021, and from January 2022, it was set at 498,000 soums. Later, this amount was increased from 498,000 soums to 568,000 soums in July 2023, and from January 2024, it was increased from 568,000 soums to 621,000 soums. As of May 1 of this year, in light of rising electricity and gas tariffs, it has been set at 648,000 soums.

Laziza Sherova, Correspondent of “Uzbekistan Voice”.

On April 22, 2024, Uzbekistan’s population reached 37 million. Just to recall, we surpassed the 36 million mark on December 8, 2022. Remarkably, in 1 year and 4 months, we have increased by another million.

Is the Population Growth in Uzbekistan a Problem or an Opportunity?

• For example, if the number of births in previous years was around 700-800 thousand, from 2018 to the present, it has been between 920 thousand and 960 thousand. This impacts social sector facilities. For instance, take the number of children entering schools. In previous years, about 700 thousand or 680 thousand children were enrolled in the first grade, whereas in the coming years, this number is expected to exceed 900 thousand. One of the main reasons for this is the high birth rate, – said Muhabbat Ahmedova, an employee of the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Research. – It should be noted that the issue of aging, which has become a global problem, is not yet observed in Uzbekistan. According to our forecasts, it will not be observed for the next 10 years. However, the share of the population above the working age is gradually increasing. This, of course, will significantly impact the pension fund. Additionally, the healthcare system, the increase in the number of social workers, the expansion of pension funds, and overall, the need to review the current pension system will be necessary. In short, population growth requires investments in human capital. I can’t say that population growth is bad. Policies need to be adjusted accordingly. I believe that a large population is a wealth for society and the republic.

Is It Time for Family Planning?

Experts say that demographic processes are influenced not only by objective factors but also by marital and family relationships and individual desires. Today, we can see that young people are consciously planning their families. Moreover, changes in the number of marriages and divorces also affect the birth rate. Issues such as housing problems in young families, changing living locations, and the broad involvement of women in social production are among the main factors leading to a decline in the birth rate. Proper family planning is crucial to providing all necessary material and non-material benefits for children, including quality education, food, and housing.

Laziza Sherova, Correspondent of “Uzbekistan Voice”.

On social media and in the media, we often hear about the significant benefits of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). So, what kind of organization is this?

The WTO began its activities on January 1, 1995. It is the only universal international body coordinating the multilateral trading system between states. Its main tasks are to regulate the transparency of the global economy, facilitate international trade relations, establish equality among them, ensure the stable development of member countries, and improve people’s livelihoods.

Experts emphasize that the WTO serves as a global platform where the interests of each member state are taken into account. Therefore, strong countries that have confidence in their economies strive to join this organization as soon as possible. This is because the WTO is the sole international organization managing the rules of international trade. Agreements within the organization are aimed at assisting producers, exporters, and importers in successfully operating in the global market.

According to information, today the world’s largest economic organization, the WTO, has 166 member countries, which account for almost 97% of global trade and global GDP.

In this context, Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO will increase the predictability of economic policy and enhance foreign investors’ confidence, ensure free access to external markets, further develop the production of finished products in our country, and strengthen competitiveness.

Recently, the adoption of the President’s decree “On Accelerating Market Reforms and Aligning the National Legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan with WTO Agreements” has created an important legal framework for these efforts.

The decree sets out several crucial tasks to realize the existing potential of the national economy, deepen its integration into the global production and value chain, expand the application of free market principles, and accelerate Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO.

According to the decree, starting from January 1, 2025, subsidies and preferences provided to support exports, including income tax on revenues from the sale of goods for export, turnover tax, and partial compensation of transportation costs, will be abolished.

To align the existing customs duties, fees, and values with the requirements of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1994), the following measures will be implemented:

• Starting January 1, 2025, customs duties introduced will not be collected for fiscal purposes.
• The Customs Committee will submit a draft regulatory legal document to the Cabinet of Ministers by August 1, 2024, on determining the customs value of goods crossing the border.

The Interagency Commission on Cooperation with the WTO (J. Khujayev) will, by August 1, 2024:

• Review and improve the effectiveness of current legislation on applying customs duties to goods produced in or having an undefined country of origin, where the most favored nation (MFN) regime is not applied.
• Submit a draft resolution to the Cabinet of Ministers to align the existing customs tariffs with the 2022 edition of the External Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature of the Republic of Uzbekistan to improve the effectiveness and transparency of import customs duties.

Conclusion

The process of joining the WTO is rightly under the close attention and strict control of our leadership. This is because Uzbekistan’s membership in the WTO will improve the standard of living of the population, enhance the competitiveness of our national products in global markets, improve the investment climate in our country, and contribute to the stable development of our economy. It will also play a crucial role in creating favorable conditions for international trade entities to conduct business in our country. In this sense, being a member of the WTO means that our country is “open for business.”

Laziza Sherova, Correspondent of “Uzbekistan Voice”.