MIDDLE CLASS - ENTREPRENEURS AND FARMERS FORM SOLID FOUNDATION OF THE STATE

Head of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences Elena Kuzmina in an interview with correspondent of Information Agency "Jahon" shared her opinions and estimates concerning the policy pursued by Uzbekistan in the economic sphere:

— First of all, I would like to emphasize that middle class - the entrepreneurs and farmers fr om solid foundation of any state. In a country wh ere the government is engaged in creation of favorable conditions for business, there is everything necessary for sustainable socio-economic development.

Analyzing the economic situation in Uzbekistan, a steady progress in this area should be noted. Despite the crisis in the global environment, the country fails to carry out a balanced policy to modernize the industry and regulate the development of the agricultural sector. The measures have yielded positive results, as the GDP of the country has consistently reported annual growth. Along with this, new production lines are being established and steadily high harvests not only of cotton, but also of other kinds of agricultural products are being gathered.

Especially, I would like to emphasize that in recent years more than 15 laws, which are aimed at protecting private property, entrepreneurship, rights and guarantees of small businesses, have been adopted. In addition, only 4 of the last year canceled 167 licensing procedures, 19 kinds of licensed activity. Fee for processing of allowing documents has been reduced by 2 times, 65 types of statistical, 6 types of tax reporting has been canceled.

Such actions of the Uzbek authorities will strengthen the position of small business and private entrepreneurship. Thus, their share in GDP increased from 31% in 2000 to 56% in 2014.

Uzbekistan, however, does not stop on the achieved results. Today the country implements Program for further reformation, structural transformation and diversification of the economy in the period for 2015-2019, which involves including the improvement of legislation in the interests of entrepreneurs and businesses. Major tasks are set before law enforcement bodies. Namely they to ensure in practice implementation of new rules for the protection of private property and business entities, development of specific mechanisms for working with business entities for the timely prevention of possible offenses.

I am convinced that all of the above-mentioned will contribute to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On measures to ensure the reliable protection of private property, small business and private entrepreneurship, the removal of barriers to their rapid development" of May 15, 2015. In my opinion, the document is focused very well on increasing the responsibility of government officials, law enforcement and regulatory authorities for obstructing the business activities and the violation of the rights of private property owners. The Decree determines the direction for the continuation of the liberalization process of administrative and criminal legislation which is regulating business activities, as well as further simplification of all kinds of registration and licensing procedures related to foreign trade activities.

I concider idea of ​​the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov as absolutely correct and timely. He expressed it at the Cabinet of Ministers’s meeting, dedicated to the socio-economic development in 2014 and the most important priorities of economic program for 2015, that adopted the direction of the economy requires coordination government agencies and business organizations. Reforms need to make business and government partners in addressing the problems caused by negative external factors in enhancing the competitiveness of the economy.

Information Agency Jahon, Moscow