Senate of the Oliy Majlis: Key objective is to boost the people’s welfare

The January 24 Address of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis (bicameral parliament) is a strategic line for the development of the country not only in 2020, but also for the next five to ten years. We will have to go through the way of democratic reforms. It is the only right path for the advancement of Uzbekistan.

The President has emphasised the role and importance of the wider public in ensuring reforms and transformation in society.

Senators and lower house deputies as elected representatives of the people must show the greatest activity and initiative in the implementation of reforms. Since, as the President has insisted, we have set ourselves a high goal to build the new Uzbekistan together with our people. The popularization of the new principle “The initiator of reforms is society itself” was highlighted by the President.

Members of the upper house are required to be not observers, but active participants in the reforms carried out in the country, initiators, and important players of the institution of parliamentary control. It is essential to ensure the parliamentary and deputy oversight of the activities of executive bodies, so that the mechanisms of public control in the process of dialogue with the people become embodied in our daily life.

Changing the work style

The legislature and in particular the Senate have been entrusted with vital objectives at the new stage in the Uzbekistan’s development. The principal goal is to elevate, working hand in hand with the government, the people’s well-being in the next five years. We will bolster the legal foundation of a democratic state with the principle “It is not the people who serve the government, but the government bodies have to serve the people”.

The Senate upholds the interests of the country’s regions (administrative divisions). In making decisions, we proceed from the interests and aspirations of residents of regions, whose rights will be considered in full when perfecting the normative acts.

In addition, the attention will be focused on delivering a favourable investment and business environment, ensuring the effectiveness of reforms in regions, industries, mahallas (Uzbek local communities), families and in every person’s life. The priority for the Senate is the creation of conditions for the effective implementation of programs such as “Every family is entrepreneur”, “Youth are our future”.

Senators will spend more time in the regions. Every member of the upper house of parliament assigned to a specific city and district will regularly participate in meetings with the population, in dialogue with the people. At the same time, they will try to contribute to improving the activities of local Kengashes.

Senators along with the chairperson of the Jokargy Kenes (Supreme Council, the legislative body) of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, hokimiyats (governor’s offices) of the regions and Tashkent will take measures to organise effectively the exemplary activities of Kengashes (local representative bodies) in districts and towns. The results of the implementation of tasks will become the subject of weekly discussions at the Senate meetings.

One of the priorities of the Senate is to promote the further development of the social sector. The focus of the upper house of parliament is fixed on issues of social policy, expanding the coverage of children with pre-school education, looking after problems of inmates of Mehribonlik homes (Mercy homes, orphanages). Certainly, culture, arts, tourism, and protection of national cultural heritage require much attention.

The open dialogues were organised in the Syrdarya region with deputies of local Kengashes last week. We exchanged our views on the tasks set in the Address of the President, agreed on actions for their implementation. During this week, all senators are heading to the regions to hold similar meetings throughout the whole country. The direct communication with the population will become a permanent style of work of elected representatives.

The State Budget Department will be created as a chamber of territorial representation within the structure of the Senate Secretariat to fulfil the priority tasks set for us, to ensure effective parliamentary control over the effective execution of the national budget.

It will increase the forcefulness of parliamentary control over the spending of public funds in the context of the country’s regions.

It has become a model to carry regularly the report hearings on the work being done from the government, industry and regional leaders in the chambers of the Oliy Majlis. This year the emphasis will be focused on the fields of science, enlightenment and digital economy.

Members of the upper house of the legislature should be leaders in the ongoing work to improve the population’s welfare and strengthen social protection. A great responsibility should be given to the creation of 500 thousand jobs in the framework of state programs and measures for the development of entrepreneurship.

Works in these directions will especially become dynamic in the year of the development of science, enlightenment and digital economy. The project “One Million Coders”" envisages a whole range of measures to increase the level of knowledge among young people. Annual plans will be determined for the full-fledged functioning of the electronic government, providing advanced training for the staff of executive bodies, including ministries of finance, economy, justice, development of information technologies and communications, as well as the introduction of new working methods in the State Committee on Statistics.

Improving the local Kengashes’ activities

Over the past three years, a legal framework has been created to strengthen the control activities of territorial representative bodies.

The horizons of the rights and responsibilities of local Kengashes are expanding more and more. There is a question of improving the activities of executive and representative authorities, so that they fully comply with the principle of separation of powers, and the practice when the hokim heads the local Kengash will be legally terminated in the future.

However, as noted in the Address, the local Kengashes’ activities do not meet requirements of present and their role in solving the problems of the population is not perceptible. The reason for Kengashes’ lack of effectiveness is that they do not fully use their powers in resolving topical issues in the field. Their role, as well as of the standing committees’ in organising sessions and discussing the pressing issues is not visible. In most cases, sessions are held as a pro-forma meeting.

At the same time, some heads of executive bodies do not consider it necessary to respond to deputies’ requests. As a result, issues on the protection of citizens’ rights and interests remain unresolved. A proposal to establish the Kengash Inquiry Institute was announced in the Address. There is a work started on introducing appropriate amendments into the legislation to create the necessary mechanism that will be capable of ensuring the executive discipline.

The practice of monthly hearing of information from the heads of state bodies on working with citizens’ appeals, performing tasks provided in laws, decrees, and resolutions is being introduced these days to the local Kengashes. A practice when relevant measures are taken against managers whose activities are considered to be unsatisfactory will be introduced.

Granting local Kengashes the authority to make proposals regarding the compliance of the heads of territorial divisions of ministries and departments with their positions will also strengthen their control function and increase responsibility. The most important is that this year the work to reduce the functions of hokims, which are unusual and unrelated to the main tasks, will be carried out.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has highlighted in particular that "ignoring the request of the senator should be regarded as ignoring the people’s demands."

Given that the senator is a deputy of the local Kengash, it is necessary to change the attitude of each hokim to the local Kengash. Fundamental reform of the activities of local Kengashes with senators’ participation will allow for setting the regular hearings of reports by heads of executive bodies on solving the problems of the population in parliament and local Kengashes.

An important measure to support the local Kengashes’ activities is introduction of the practice of paying extra allowances to the chairpersons of standing committees. The Senate has developed a methodological manual on the proper and efficient organisation of local Kengashes’ activities, which is already being studied by deputies in the regions.

It is important that hokims treat the local Kengashes as a "mirror" of their activities and interact with them.

Social policy serving the population’s interests

The specific targets for poverty reduction were identified for the first time in the Address. The collaboration with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program and other international organisations in solving this issue will be included in the Poverty Reduction Program. The work involves the creation of a new methodology covering many factors: the concept of poverty, the criteria for its determination and assessment methods.

It is necessary to implement a comprehensive socio-economic policy to eliminate poverty and to form entrepreneurial talent among people, realise their full potential and create their jobs. Attention will be paid to stimulating the activities of the population considering the people’s interests in areas as handicraft, livestock, and the provision of services. Therefore, the issues of providing microfinance services to the population and entrepreneurs, expanding financial resources, and public procurement will become objects of control by senators.

In our country, the implementation of gender policy is identified as a priority, which attracts the attention of the people and the entire world community. One of the main directions will be ensuring employment and providing targeted assistance to women in need in 2020.

This year it is planned to allocate soft loans in the amount of 100 billion sums to the projects of 5,5 thousand women who are involved in the small business sector. The initial instalments of 1,576 women to purchase new housing will be paid from the budget. Senators will take the most active part in the field in the implementation of large-scale reforms in this direction. They are entrusted with the task of a wide and objective explanation of the essence and significance of these measures to the public.

Strengthening the international and inter-parliamentary relations

Further strengthening the role of parliament in the development of the national economy and intensifying cooperation with international parliamentary structures is one of the main activities of the upper chamber. The Senate is focusing on such issues as the expansion of international economic cooperation, the introduction of mechanisms for the development of tourism, and the strengthening of the effectiveness of parliamentary control.

Hence, during the President’s visits to foreign countries, the special attention is paid to trade, economic and investment issues. Our ultimate goal is to create the necessary legislative framework to ensure the effective implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level, thus, to create conditions for direct foreign investment pour in the national economy. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation through inter-parliamentary relations to attract and settle investments as well.

The chairmanship of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the CIS in 2020 entrusts the upper house of parliament with a special responsibility to expand multilateral cooperation within the organisation and increase its effectiveness. Senators will actively participate in developing trade and economic relations with the CIS countries, ensuring the full functioning of free economic zones, deepening production cooperation and pioneering markets of the third world countries, expanding partnerships in the agriculture, energy and telecommunications sectors, implementing scientific, innovative, cultural, humanitarian and educational programs.

The upper chamber will pay attention to the development of model laws in the framework of activities in such structures as the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the OSCE. Open, pragmatic and deeply thought-out policy that meets national interests will be continued. In our country, the strict parliamentary control is established over the achievement of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in regards to this, the practice of hearings of the relevant reports from the members of the government on this issue is being introduced. The Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis is simultaneously the Chairperson of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labour. The main activity of the Commission is aimed at creating decent working conditions for our citizens and protecting their rights. On a regular basis various events are held that have taken the entire range of measures to continue work in this direction and to develop international cooperation. In the implementation of large-scale projects, our partners include such structures as the International Labour Organisation, the International Organisation for Migration, the OSCE, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Intensifying the anti-corruption measures

The crucial tasks are assigned to senators in strengthening the anti-corruption measures. In my opinion, a conscientious approach to their work is the beginning of instilling an "honesty vaccine".

At the first session of the Senate, the Head of the state dwelled on strengthening measures to prevent corruption this year in three areas – healthcare, education and construction. Senators plan to hear information from the Prosecutor General of the country about the work being done in this direction. Besides, monitoring of the work carried out in the regions to combat corruption will be strengthened. To this end, the Senate Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues and Anti-corruption has outlined large-scale events to be implemented during the year. Our efforts will be aimed at increasing the active participation of the population in strengthening public control over combating corruption.

Improving the dialogue with people and public relations

The Senate of the Oliy Majlis as a chamber of territorial representation protecting the interests of the regions must be guided by the people’s interests, direct communication with citizens and taking the initiative to solve their problems. Priority is given to improving the dialogue with the people and public relations in our work.

Working on citizens' appeals, holding field appointment and meetings with the population, solving local problems of concern to the population - all of these will be carried out throughout the year. Effective measures will be taken using the capabilities of the heads of local executive bodies, organisations and institutions, as well as deputies of local Kengashes on every issue raised in appeals of individuals and legal entities received by the Senate.

There is a work underway to subsequently not to be limited to live broadcasts of plenary sessions of the upper chamber, and broadcast hearings held by the Senate committees.

The local Kengashes’ meetings, which activities are recognised as exemplary will also be broadcasted online for the public to be informed about the control activities of senators on law enforcement, as well as the ongoing work of senators and deputies elected from their region.

At a new stage of the development of our country, the Senate as a powerful institute of democracy, in practice demonstrating the political, legal and cultural potential of the national parliament will undoubtedly justify the high confidence of the people as a true spokesperson and defender of their interests.

Tanzila Narbaeva

Chairperson of Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan