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Business Environment

Basic Business Environment

Small and Private Business

It is the most dynamically developing sector of the economy, and stimulated due to several state reforms effective from the end of 1998 with a view of supporting of small and private business. In particular: reduction of inspections by state bodies, unified tax for carrying out of small business, liberalization of a cash turnover and conditions of crediting of domestic and foreign financial institutions. In the earlier years of the independence the share of turnover of small and private businesses in the country’s GNP made approximately 1% in comparison to the year of 2002 the parameter was 35%. Small and private businesses contribute to the reduction of unemployment by job creation in the country. Foreign credits and attracted investments directed by the GOU for stimulation of small and private business are repaid in due time under the favorable tax conditions and the optimized mechanism of sales of output on export by the enterprises of small and private business. 

 

Import Substitution

The main purpose of import substitution, per se an instrument of currency exchange regulation, is to reduce unreasonable import of the goods similarly produced in the republic and direct the flow of released monetary resources for the development of a domestic production and an increase of the application of hi-tech. effective from 1996. The changes that were introduced in 1996 to the legislation that regulated the currency flow can be one of the examples of the simplification and flexibility of the currency exchange regulation. Besides, the currency fund derived form sales of automobiles, agricultural equipments, flour and sales of other several liquid goods on foreign markets has allowed to provide currency self-recoupment of enterprises using in manufacture of imported raw materials, materials and componentry. It is necessary to note that currency earnings of enterprises derived due to sales on export sufficiently directs to a profit markup and an enterprise development, workflow automation, labor stimulation and an improvement of a current infrastructure. 

 

Economic Growth and Inflation

One of the factors constraining the economic growth and the stability of any country is inflation. However, the GOU as a consequence of number economic reforms has achieved real decrease in inflation rate. According to the official statistical data, the inflation rate was more than 26.0% in 2001, but because of the favorable economic conditions, the datum has decreased by 6.8% in 2006. 

According to bases of economy, the growth of GDP also depends on the exchange rate used for converting national currency into a foreign currency. In this respect the GOU has created the steady mechanism of the free currency convertibility by means of several Currency funds and stock exchanges. The exchange rate is periodically fixed by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, allowing free and independent convertibility of any currency of the world. 

The analysis of the trend of GDP shows stable growth and significant budget surplus of Uzbekistan. At the  4.0% GDP growth the budget deficit of  the country was 0.8% of GDP in 2002. The liberal approach of the GOU to the development of sectors of economy resulted in achievement of GDP growth over 7.0% with the budget surplus by 0.5 % in 2006. The major factors of the economic growth have become the increase of the volume of industrial production and the agriculture by 10.8% and 6.2% respectively. According to statistical data, by the end of 2006 the average real wages in Uzbekistan accounted for UZS 185,000 or nearly USD 150, that 5 times exceeds the datum of 2001-2002. 

 

Balance of Payments (BoP)

As a result of implementing of number significant reforms by the GOU directed to liberalization of a national economy as a whole, the volume of currency reserves by the end of 2002 was increased by 167.9% and has made about USD 4.7 bln in comparison to those of past period. Due to the implemented protection policy of interests of domestic manufacturers, the import of the goods similarly produced in Uzbekistan was reduced by 38.0%. The export of goods correspondingly increased on average by 23.0%. Moreover,  the share of cotton fiber decreased by 17%  in the export volume of the country, the rest of the export accounts for machines and equipments, fruit-and-vegetable manufacturing and processing, construction materials, agricultural equipment, electro-technical products and others. 

The control system of the external debt of the country in 1999-2006 has been stable and less moderate. Furthermore, the external debt rate has been at the rate of 20.6% of GDP in 1999 towards 22.8% in 2006. The critical ratio was marked in 2003 when the parameter made about 40.0% of GDP. Hence, investments into any sector or region of the country today can be considered guaranteed to the development and repayment in time, due to constant growth of priority macroeconomic parameters. The main investors of the country have been such companies as Gazprom, Lukoil, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Itochu, Nestle, Coca-Cola Bottles, Vimm-Bill-Dann, SIEMENS, ZEROMAX, MTS, Vimpelkom, BAT, Marubeni, Samsung, ABN Amro Bank, Kanebo Silk, KOC, IRANSADERAT and etc. 

 

Currency Convertibility

With a view of strengthening of currency balance of the country in Uzbekistan there were sometimes restrictions on converting of UZS into a foreign currency. Additionally, the Republic of Uzbekistan has joined to the Article VIII of the Agreement of the IMF in 2003 and these restrictions have been removed. Today, converting is regulated by specific decisions of the GOU and instructions of the CBU. 

The incomes of the foreign investor derived in Uzbekistan can be re-invested on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan or used by any different way at discretion of a foreign investor. 

Foreign investors are guaranteed for free transfer of cash resources in a foreign currency into Uzbekistan and from there without any restrictions under condition of tax payments and other mandatory payments in accordance with Uzbek legislation.

 

Priority Sectors of Economy

Agriculture

The main and leading sector of economy is the agriculture (about 40.0% of GDP). Basic manufacturing of the sector is cotton-fiber, wheat, and fruit-and-vegetable products. 

Favorable weather conditions have determined the corresponding regional distribution of the basic export-oriented products of the agricultural industry of the country. For example,

- vegetables, fruit, melons and gourds are raised basically in Namangan, Fargona, Andijon and Samarqand provinces,

- rice and other cereals in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorazm province,

- meet and dairy products and tanning materials mainly are produced in Bukhoro, Surkhondaryo and Qashqadaryo provinces,

- wine and other alcoholic products are produced in Tashkent, Andijon provinces and the Republic of Karakalpakstan,

- tobacco products are produced in Tashkent and Samarqand provinces.

 

Light industry

One of the priority directions in the development of an export policy of Uzbekistan is the development of light industry, basic exports are cotton yarn, silk and silk products, cotton severe fabrics, knitted cloth, garments, and etc. The sector is characterized not only by the opportunity of a quick return of investments, but also by cheap labor force, the availability of raw materials, and the developed infrastructure. 

It is also necessary to note that Uzbekistan is one of the largest manufacturer of cotton, silk, and astrakhan fur in the world. The country is on the fourth place in the world in volumes and quality of manufacture of cotton and the second place in volumes of cotton fiber export. There are more than 200 large enterprises and associations, a network of branches, the modeling centers of clothes and jersey, a design bureau, a network of firm trade, and etc in the Uzbek light industry. 

Due to re-equipment of manufacturing by modern equipments the Program of Quality Improvement and Increase in volumes of production, expansion of assortments, the organization engaged in processing of cotton fiber on the basis of attracting both local and foreign investments by creation of JVs is realized. 

The followings are the mainstreams of the development of the sector: 

- Spinning manufacture - updating of plants of not-spindle spinning on the basis of modern equipment; 

- Weaving manufacture – implementing of automatic winding machines, warp drawing-in machines, replacement of weaving looms by modern shuttleless weaving machine; 

- Dyeing manufacture – implementing of new equipments with the electronic control and regulation of processes. 

 

Heavy Industry

Uzbekistan has rich spectrum of the natural resources, the developed mountain and oil-and-gas industries. The country is rich in inexhaustible natural resources, including oil, gas, uranium, gold, copper, aluminium, iron ores and others. 

Uzbek heavy industry is represented by the developed and complex spheres of aircraft construction, motor industry, a network of the enterprises producing agricultural machines and equipment, cable conductor products, tools and parts for a railway transportation and etc. 

Uzbekistan is known also for reserves and extraction of precious and rare-earth metals - gold, silver, uranium, and etc. In volumes of manufacture of gold the country is on the second place in the CIS, the eighth - in the world and the fifth – in per capita production. Quality of the Uzbek gold meets high world standards. The significant stocks of copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, lithium, not-metallurgical raw materials (kaolin, fluoric and feldspar, quartz sand, phosphorites, etc.) exist in the country. They serve for manufacture of mineral fertilizers, porcelain-faience products and other production, competitive in domestic and foreign markets. 

The country has strategic mineral resources of raw materials: oil and gas, ores of ferrous, nonferrous and precious metals. In addition, the total potential of mineral resources of the country is estimated to be USD 3.3 trln. From entrails of the country minerals for the sum of 95.5 bln are derived annually, thus, the annual growth of reserves makes about USD 6-7 bln.