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PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TRIGGERS A RESET OF THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT
ELDOR ARIPOV,
DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF STRATEGIC AND INTERREGIONAL STUDIES UNDER THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Policy vectors and focuses voiced by the President in his Address to the Oliy Majlis have risen a great interest among both domestic and foreign media and experts. Many agree that the Address demonstrates the firm will of the leadership of Uzbekistan to continue reformation of all areas of life of society and the state, consistently addressing problems that impede the country's renewal.
According to Andrei Kazantsev, Director of the Center for Central Asia and Afghanistan at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, "as a smart leader coming from the university intellectual circles," is implementing his reform strategy being deeply aware of the need for change in society. According to the Deputy Director of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies Tatiana Shendik, the Address has demonstrated that «Shavkat Mirziyoyev is a leader who does not forget the past, lives in the present and thinks about the future». President of the International Strategic Studies Association Gregory Copley featured the Address as one of the
most eminent statements on national politics of the leader of the Central Asian country.
So why has the Address provoked such a great interest in Uzbekistan and abroad? Why is it so important for the future of the country? What does the President imply when he speaks of a "new Uzbekistan"?
The long-term reform strategy proposed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev in terms of its position and tasks is aimed, first of all, at ensuring the country's further progress in the field of modernization. This, in turn, is consistent with the country's modernization program - the Singaporean experience carried out
by Lee Kuan Yew. A while back, the architect of the "miracle of Singapore" laid the following decisive directions for the successful development of the country:
1) Economic reforms, which draw a vector of investment and innovative development;
2) Social renovation;
3) Effective fight against corruption;
4) Creation of appropriate political environment.
The President of Uzbekistan has set similar goals. In this context, it is sensible to dwell on the aspects that clearly demonstrate the President's "spirit of reforms" in his Address regarding the perception of old inefficient forms and methods of work, democratic and market management mechanisms.
Formation of a strong and reliable government was the pivotal task set by the President.
It is worth to point out to the fact that in his Address to the newly elected parliament the President urged its members to catalyze their engagement in the reforms, to be decisive and courageous, to have their own fundamental point of view representing
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the interests of voters, regardless of the executive branch.
Relying on an effective parliament, the President is consistently building a stable system of pressure and opposition. Shavkat Mirziyoyev believes that the drawing of the "hard line" of activity of all authorities and "wrapping in one's own shell" will not have any effect. The total control regime has not justified itself - it impedes development.
By saying this, the President made it clear that there is no need for a "guided parliament". He sets a priority of "thinking Oliy Majlis", which is capable of stepping out with legislative initiatives with an eye to the interests of voters and national priorities. In other words, the President clearly explained his expectations of the parliament as the country's supreme legislative body, which monitors the implementation of decisions made by more stringent requirements in accordance with the Constitution, and is responsible for mistakes made by the government and officials.
To this end, the President proposes to legally oblige the heads of ministries and departments to respond to the MP inquiry, thereby increasing their status and authority. According to the new legislative initiatives of the President, for the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, the Prime Minister submitted to the parliament candidates to the Cabinet for approval.
The responsibility of MPs for their activities is also significantly increasing. Now, unconditional and unanimous adoption of the law will remain in the
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past. With the previous composition of the Legislative Chamber, 16 bills failed discussion and were returned to the initiators to make up for their shortcomings. For comparison: in 20102014, not a single law was returned by MPs.
The media is the key element that proves key in ensuring the practical implementation of the system of deterrence and resistance. Today, owing to the President's policy on ensuring the openness of government bodies, creating an enabling environment for active engagement of citizens in solution of the most important problems of socio-economic development, the media have been increasingly acting as the "fourth power".
Currently, the media reveal pressing issues that make people think that a sense of their own social status becomes a "barometer" of the success of reforms, an effective tool to shape public opinion. All this allows us to develop a mechanism of feedback, to carry out reforms on a bottom-up basis, based on real problems of people's concern.
Also, for the first time, the population has received an opportunity to influence
the process of adoption of legislative acts. I am glad that more than 400 bills have been finalized after extensive discussion based on the proposals of common citizens.
Civil society institutions are not left aside. An enabling environment is being created to strengthen the role of NGOs in the system of public oversight. To date, they have implemented more than 700 initiatives in the field of protecting human rights and freedoms, development of small business, private entrepreneurship, the farming movement, as well as in monitoring the status of implementation of state programs in the socio-economic sector.
Large-scale reform of the political system goes in hand with the creation of a new model of the economy based on the principle of the real market.
The President clearly explains that frivolous measures cannot be taken in this direction. One must rely on real market mechanisms to create a modern market economy, and there is no other option. The purpose of management in this area is not the establishment of total control over economic processes, but self-development, stimulation of entrepreneurial activity and, as a result, the increase in the people's well-being.
Over the past few centuries, the development processes in the world economy have proved a simple fact: the well-being of citizens has improved solely in the countries that ensured freedom of active entrepreneurship. "The father of economics" Adam Smith wrote that not a single entrepreneur thinks about how to benefit society, but
healthy competition between them gives society wide opportunities to choose cheap goods and services. Competition forces to reduce production costs, introduce innovations, stimulate the development of science, etc.
The policy of openness, freedom, and eradication of bureaucracy currently gives significant fruits.
Uzbekistan is turning into a region's recognized leader in raising investment. The volume of investments in fixed capital in the GDP system increased by 37.1 %, while the growth of foreign direct investment increased four times.
According to the report of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the foreign investment growth in Central Asian countries amounted to an average of 8-10%. In Uzbekistan, it grew 3.2 times (9.3 billion USD) against 2018 (2.9 billion USD).
Uzbekistan has strengthened its positions in prestigious world ratings. In 2019, the country entered the top twenty countries that achieved best results in improving the business climate. In 2020, the Doing Business index rated the republic as 69th.
For the first time, Uzbekistan received a sovereign credit rating by S&P, Fitch
Ratings, Moody's international agencies. A successful placement of a billion dollar bonds was recognized by leading foreign media as an important financial event for the development of the region in 2019.
The instructions on cancelation of government orders for the purchase of cotton and grain, reflected in the Address, are seen as a decisive element in the comprehensive policy of transition to the market economy. Experts admit that the choice of agricultural production is free, and the lack of state order leads to a sharp transformation of an important sector of the country, which employs 3.6 million people.
Relieving bureaucratic pressure will allow farmers to increase production capacities in the industry and create new jobs. It is going to be a concurrent change in the thinking of people employed in the agricultural sector, and modern mechanisms of commercial management will be introduced. According to World Bank estimates, the abolition of the state order will lead to an economic turn in agriculture and will serve as a powerful impetus for further growth.
It has been obvious that the state order, which has been used for many years, has caused a number of problems and complications in the agriculture of Uzbekistan, ranging from inefficiency, corruption and abuse of workers' rights to the poverty of farmers.
In this regard, the President put forward an initiative to transit to market principles in the purchase of cotton and grain, which is given great
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importance. This will increase the interest of agricultural producers in labor productivity, in the quality of their products, help fight corruption, and change the working style of senior staff in the agricultural sector.
The proposed measures are an integral part of joint efforts to increase the transparency of the entire public administration system and the fight against corruption.
The head of Uzbekistan rightly noted that corruption today is a serious obstacle to further development. According to the UN, the global economy is losing 2.6 trillion USD a year from corruption, or nearly 5 percent of global GDP. In Uzbekistan, the damage caused by corruption crimes of officials in the first half of 2019 amounted to 200 million USD.
To eliminate these unpleasant situations, the authorities have been taking organizational, legal and other effective measures to combat corruption, as well as creating conditions for its total aversion in society. Specifically, Uzbekistan adopted the Law on Combating Corruption, and the State Program 2019-2020. Both houses of parliament set up judicial and anti-corruption committees.
Also, in pursuance of the Presidential Decree 'On measures to further improve the anti-corruption system in the Republic of Uzbekistan' dated May 27, 2019, a project 'Corruption-Free Sector' has been piloted in the capital construction and education sectors, which are considered as the most corrupt in the republic.
The system-based approach has produced explicit results and contributed to improving the position of Uzbekistan in the ranking of the Corruption Perception Index. In the updated rating, the republic climbed by five positions. It has to be admitted that, despite the positive trend, the country still shows poor performance among Central Asian and Eastern European states.
It is expected that the creation of a separate anti-corruption body, as proposed by the President, would significantly improve the situation in this area. Foreign experience shows that the formation of a fully independent system of combating corruption dramatically increases the efficiency of its work.
The establishment of the AntiCorruption Bureau in Singapore, which is directly subordinate to the Prime Minister, has drastically reduced corruption in the highest levels of government in this country. The experience of the financial and legal independent anti-corruption department of Romania, which in 2013 brought to justice the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, 21 MPs, 6 senators and 9 ministers, is also exemplary.
In accordance with international democratic practices, it is proposed to introduce in Uzbekistan a mechanism for declaring the income and property of public employees. As directly warned by the President of Uzbekistan, in the near future, each official will have to answer such questions as "what house he lives in, how he built it, and how he buys cars."
For Uzbekistan, this is a big step forward in the fight against corruption, reduction of illegal cash flow, elimination of conflict of interests, and in the introduction of best international practices in the fight against illegal enrichment.
Improvement of social policies is an important element of the fundamental renovation of the country. Well-being and prosperity of the people are the ultimate goals of all ongoing reforms.
The ongoing efforts to improve the living standards of the population have been yielding tangible results. Over the past two years, real incomes have grown by 49%. The number of recipients of social allowance has increased by 1.3 times, and the amount of pensions has doubled. The development of a procedure for calculating the size of the consumer basket, cost of living and the formation of a unified roster of social support recipients has been launched.
In addition, it is planned to channel 700 million USD to the social sector. This will not only ensure social protection for vulnerable segments of the population, but will also tap their capacities, practically demonstrate the existing potential and self-confidence.
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Generally, one of the key messages of the Address comes to the development of a strategy of state and public construction, and to the restart of activities of state structures and civil society institutions.
In his speech, the President noted that the difficult period we live in, the changes that have been triggered will continue with even greater difficulties: «the reform mechanism has been launched, and there is no way back to the past.»
Officials who do not realize the requirements of the time, who are not able to work in the new environment, must give way to creatively thinking, young, highly qualified professionals able to take responsibility for the fate of the Homeland.
Nowadays, the essense of uniting society around the idea of building a "New Uzbekistan", proclaimed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is growing. Putting forward the idea of the main principle of dynamic development "Society - the Initiator of Reforms," the President actually urged all citizens to cooperate in the process of comprehensive renewal of the country.
Now, the floor is given to the people and society. No one wants to repeat past mistakes. As soon as the "fetters of fear" are removed, it is necessary to move from "inaction mode to engagement mode". The mission is to rationally tap the emerging opportunities, to mobilize all forces and enthusiasm towards the country's prosperity.
