Making good progress in the development of the insurance market

Interim President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Rivers of Energy

What ‘Adam’s Offspring’ Will Say

DECEMBER 4 - the Elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Meeting with the delegation of the OSCE ODIHR

On October 11, 2016 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted a meeting with the Needs Assessment Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE ODIHR), headed by the Head of Election Department Alexander Shlyk.

The sides exchanged views on cooperation in the framework of the invitation sent to address OSCE ODIHR by the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan to the upcoming presidential election on December 4, 2016.

(Source: Press Service of the MFA of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

economy

Making good progress in the development of the insurance market

In 2016, the Republic of Uzbekistan is marking by celebration a big jubilee – the 25th anniversary since the nation gained state independence in 1991. During this period impressive strides have been made in the country across all economic sectors and social spheres, including the insurance market.

It should be observed that over the years of its independent development, Uzbekistan has undergone lots of cardinal changes. Today, one can say with certainty that insurance is an integral part of the national economy. The most important achievements in this sector include: the formation of the insurance-market environment, the liquidation of the state’s monopoly in a given field and, as a consequence, a swift increase in the number of insurance organizations. The state plays the role of the insurance market’s major reformer. At the same time, stress is laid on the outstripping development of a legal framework, in a move to ensure the effective reformation of this sector. And the following legislative documents form a solid foundation on which to regulate and further develop the home insurance market: the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan , “On insurance activity” as of 5th April 2002, the Presidential Decree, “On measures to further liberalize and develop the insurance market” as of 31st January 2001, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, “On measures to further develop the market for insurance services” as of 27th November 2002 etc. A package of all these measures to boost the expansion and reformation of the insurance market of Uzbekistan is aimed at strengthening the population’s confidence in insurance as such and insurance organizations, improving the quality of services they offer, as well as at raising their level of capitalization in an effort to reinforce their financial stability.

The insurance market has created a reliable and safe system of reservation and investment for free money funds, which can be transformed into the means of payment at the earliest possible date for customers to meet their liabilities.

Thus, thanks to these measures, in 2005 the Republic’s insurance organizations collected over 551 billion Soum (currency rates of CB RU from 12.10.2016, 1$= 3046.85  soums)in insurance premiums, 26 per cent above the 2014 level. As a whole, over the past 5 years the national insurance market has changed both qualitatively and quantitatively, demonstrating a 3-fold rate of growth.

A spectacular rise in the capacity of the home insurance market has been caused, first and foremost, by a stable growth of all macroeconomic indicators in the country and the efficient socio-economic policy, the fact accentuated by the Uzbek leader at the enlarged session of the government dedicated to the discussion of results of the nation’s socio-economic development in 2015 and priority directions of the 2016 Economic Program.

Special attention was devoted to steps to increase capitalization of indigenous insurance companies, which implies their transformation into powerful financial institutions and a significant source of investments for the real sector of the national economy. Last year, the aggregate amount of their chartered capital exceeded the 2014 similar indicator by 59 billion Soum. Let it be pointed out here that the infrastructure of the Uzbek insurance market these days is represented by 29 insurance companies, which, in turn, run more than 1,000 territorial sub-divisions countrywide.

As well as that, volumes of services provided by the domestic insurance companies are on the upward trend. In particular, in the last 4 years this indicator grew 3.4 times as much – from US $201.9 million to US $680.2 million. At the same time, such a graphic figure of increased activity in the sector of small business and private entrepreneurship as a volume of services provided to its participants swelled 7.5-fold over the past 5 years, with the sector’s share of insurance-service exports more than doubling.

In 2015, the total volume of insurance benefits across all types of insurance was in excess of 111 billion Soum, 1.5-fold above the 2004 level.                

(Source: «Business partner.uz» newspaper)

ENERGETICS

Rivers of Energy

In the next five years, Uzbekistan is planning to upgrade and streamline the operation of several hydropower plants by means of cutting edge technologies.

Hydroelectric power plants (HPP) are seen as a very specific type of power generation. Their operation does not require fuel, and electricity is obtained by ‘green way’. However, their construction, and operation in particular, requires special attention to all the processes that take place inside and around the station. Uzbekistan embarked on staged modernization of existing plants yet in the beginning of the 90s of last century. Time zips along, new technologies and equipment come to significantly improve the effectiveness of power generation and bring security of all processes to a new level.

Domestic hydropower plants generate about 11.4% of the total power received. Despite the index, the importance of this sector for the economy should not be underestimated. It is important to realize that hydro energy is not just the production of energy. It also addresses water supply and irrigation problems that are highly relevant for our region, with its traditions of irrigated agriculture. In addition, owing to maneuverability and opportunity of quick and drastic increase in power generation, hydroelectric power plants are seen as a key element of secure operation of the entire power system. That is why Uzbekenergo has been attaching importance to the development of this area.

The company is planning to upgrade and renovate 19 operating hydropower plants by the end of 2020 for the rational use of energy resources and renewable energy development. As a result, their capacity should increase to 118.5 MW with additional generation of 600 million kW/h of electricity, thereby ensuring saving of 250 million cubic meters of natural gas.

The implementation of 30 major investment projects on the establishment of new, upgrade and reconstruction of existing industries will be continued. They envisage the introduction of modern technologies of combined production of electricity and thermal energy on the basis of combined cycle power plants, the increase of the share of solid fuels in the fuel and energy balance through the reconstruction of operating coal-fired power plants, as well as construction of intersystem transmission lines and supporting substations for the transmission of electric power and energy to the deficient power units.

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)

International cooperation

On telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan

On 10 October 2016 Interim President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on the initiative of Kazakh side.

The heads of state discussed the pace of implementation of the agreements, reached during the recent meetings on the highest level, on the topical issues of developing mutually beneficial cooperation in trade-economic, investment, transport, communications, cultural-humanitarian and other spheres.

The parties highly assessed the results of the business visits of delegations of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on different levels, conclusion of important commercial contracts in priority areas.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Nursultan Nazarbayev also exchanged opinions on several regional and international issues.

The heads of state agreed to intensify bilateral ties in all spheres of mutual interest and further strengthen relations of friendship and good neighbourliness.

(Source: Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

CINEMA

What ‘Adam’s Offspring’ Will Say

The director and writer Mansur Vasati working on the script for the film ‘Adam’s Offspring’, in which he tries to find a solution to the complex conflict of civilizations. Whether he succeeds? However, his creative task is the other - to focus the viewer’s attention on the problem, get to think and thereby protect against rash actions, make people a little kinder and wiser, and most importantly - humane.

In one interview, you said you had been working on the film ‘Adam’s Offspring’ for several years. Is it true?

“More than four years, it is a very complicated philosophical theme. It is highly relevant to modern society, though, it is not so easy to come up, because it is the relationship of people with different ideas about life and religion. Moral training took most of the time.

I realize that all people on Earth are related to each other and to a certain extent are related to one another. Maybe it is trite, but that is my paradigm. I believe that all of us are the descendants of Adam. Hence the title of the film ‘Adam’s Offspring’ and the main idea is to awaken in people a sense of unity and mutual responsibility for the fate of others. For this we have to delve into the problems of global relations, they should carefully form the basis of the plot. And most important is that the picture should lead the audience to the idea of tolerance, exclusion of our lives all kinds of conflicts.

For me it is a very important project, but very difficult for the subject and implementation, so I do not hurry. It is necessary to do a great job to shoot a full-length motion picture, to which I am not ready. In order to achieve the assigned goals, I initially want to shoot a short film, in which the whole point of ideas will be reflected. And I am going to participate with this film in festivals to hear the opinion of colleagues from different countries. And then, taking into account all the responses, I turn it into a full-length film.

I really want the film becomes an international project, in this I see the key to success. It will be good if to involve at least three countries in the work on the project - Uzbekistan, Russia and France. This idea is very complicated, but I do not set myself an easy task.”

You once said that the best of your work is the film ‘Quduq’ (Well)…

“A parent loves all his children. But I think there are those among them whom you can really be proud of. And the film ‘Quduq’ is one of them. And that is OK, because it is the last full-length picture, with which I even participated in international film festivals. In this work, I feel experience, and wisdom, everything that a person acquires during the years of life. I like to be aware of this.

Last year, the film was shown at the 11th International Film Festival, which was held in Kazan. And I was very pleased when the audience after the show came up and thanked me. It means I managed to make the problem available.”

Why do you prefer this script?

“Director chooses out a particular script, because the main point of the story is the same with his pain in his heart, attitude.

My main motto in art: “We can not create what destroys humanity in us.” I am convinced that the task of the cinema and the arts in general is the protection of humanity in human. The hero of the film ‘Quduq’ is a person who is lack in the society of people of the Earth, and their number goes down. People lose communication with each other. The concept ‘Love thy neighbor’ becomes strange. Hence, differences and wars emerge. I really want to believe that this film will be instructive for all audiences, and will save them from rash actions.

The script for the film ‘Quduq’ was written by famous writer and playwright Tashkent Gafur Shermukhammad. It amazed me at once for the acuteness of assigned issues, interesting, well written characters and, in general, attracted with its very idea. I charmed with the image of the main character, his humanity, immense benevolence, forgiveness, a sense of civic responsibility, by which I mean love and tolerance for the other person, respect and understanding of each and every one - feelings that were the main features of his character.

The film tells the story of an ordinary man, whose name is unknown, even the audience knows him by his nickname Lallay, which means ‘patsy.’ He digs the wells that provide water for people, he is an unsurpassed master of his craft, always unerringly finds the water and at the same time he is a simpleton who does not ask from the customers even deserved payment for his hard work.

And people pay him very little money for overwork, constantly deceiving him, but he does not grumble at fate and selflessly doing his job, and if that happens, blaming only himself. And when trouble comes to his house, his son falls ill seriously, no one rushes to help him, and he remains with his trouble alone. This story seemed to be taken from a thousand lives. It should not be in real life, right? And we are able to change it.”

I wonder how a man filming serious movies, engaged in advertising and videos…

“Previously I looked at commercials and music videos with suspicion. And then I realized that this is a laboratory, a kind of mini-movie. And now I am very interested in shooting them. Here, also, it all depends on how well you will show the essence of the story.

Expanding the space for experimenting, I master one more direction – social videos. With PYM Kamolot we shoot the stories dedicated to saving water. I like it.”

It is true that your diary brought you the cinematography, which you kept since the fifth grade?

“The way it is, from the fifth grade until my graduation from the Institute. I liked to make records on all interesting moments. He loved to watch people and their actions. Estimating the clothes of people I tried to figure out who they were and what they thought about. In the 90s of the last century by the will of fate I had to tour around the former Union and see so much that I did not have time to write everything down. In the future, I did not satisfy only with making records. I wanted something more and more interesting. By that time, I graduated from school. I did not know what Institute to chose. My father wanted me to go to the higher police school. Then they wanted to see me as a military pilot, or physician.  I went to medical high school at the Pediatric Institute. But I knew that all this was not my wish. My friends told me about the Theater Institute. I wandered on its halls, rooms and floors and realized that it was my world. I persuaded the parents to hire a tutor. I passed the exams and entered the director’s department of the Institute. It was exactly what I wanted. That is to record the story and to tell people. And the observations that were recorded in my diary help me to work on the images of characters.”

Do you still keep a diary?

“Today my diary is my movies. All that I have seen and noticed in life is the basis for my pictures.”

(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)