Day: March 13, 2023

The Aga Khan Development Network notes that the University of Central Asia (UCA)'s School for the Advancement of Gender Equality (SAGE) provides training and a peer support platform for organizations, activists and others working in gender equality and advocacy. International experts share experiences and best practices from around the world, creating an active community for the future. SAGE reportedly also allocates small grants to pilot innovative projects. One recipient was the Initiative of Roza Otunbayeva Public Foundation, which promotes STEM amongst girls and women in the Kyrgyz Republic. The Initiative is currently working with technical universities in Bishkek and Osh to assess the effectiveness of their communications with applicants. Dogdurgul Kendirbayeva, the Initiative's Executive Director, notes that 'In 2019, the number of women applying for technical sciences was only a third that of men. There is a low proportion of women in high-yield promising industrial sectors and girls are unprepared for the professions of the future. It is at school that educational stereotypes are formed, which reduce girls' motivation for acquiring STEM skills. It is necessary to pay attention to the oppressive role of social and pedagogical gender stereotypes, dividing schoolchildren into future 'breadwinners' and 'housekeepers', with all the consequences for their further education.' UCA's School for the Advancement of Gender Equality was launched by UCA's Civil Society Initiative at the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. SAGE is funded by the Government of Canada, through Advancing Gender Equality through Civil Society (AGECS) under the Foundations for Health and Empowerment (F4HE) program. AGECS has provided CAD 500,000 (US$ 393,275) to further enable civil society organizations, women's groups and community leaders to advance public goods, especially gender equality, improve access to health care and improve child protection in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Source: Asia-Plus

Invitation for Bids Republic of Tajikistan Rural Electrification Project Loan /Credit No.: IDA/D5040 Contract Title: Design + Civil and Electromechanical Works and Commissioning for SHPP Lot 1: Yoged, Ravsharv, Pshikharv, Gushun, Bodomdara Lot 2: Midenchild, Devlokh, Bizhravd, Achirkh and Reconstruction of SHPP Basid Lot 3: Ravmed, Dzhizev, Darjomch Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): TJ-PE-21/2022-WO-RFB 1. The Republic of Tajikistan, OJSC 'Pamir Energy Company' has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Tajikistan Rural Electrification Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward payments under the contract for Design + Civil and Electromechanical Works for HPP. 2. The OJSC 'Pamir Energy Company' now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for Design + Civil and Electromechanical Works for HPP. 3. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedures as specified in the World Bank's Guidelines: Procurement of Goods, Works and Non-Consulting Services under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants by World Bank Borrowers dated July 2016, revised November 2017, August 2018 and November 2020 ('Procurement Guidelines'), and is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. In addition, please refer to paragraphs 1.6 and 1.7 setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. 4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information and inspect the bidding documents during office hours 09:00 - 17:00 (Dushanbe time) on Monday to Friday at the address#1 given below. 5. A complete set of bidding documents in Russian language may be provided to the interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the addresses below. 6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 14H00 May 1, 2023. Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders' designated representatives and anyone who choose to attend at the address #2 below. 7. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security. Bid Security required amount makes: Lot 1 - 8,000.00 US Dollars Lot 2- 8,000.00 US Dollars Lot 3- 6,300.00 US Dollars 8. The addresses referred to above are: Address #1 Attention: Mr. Amrikhon Raimov, General Director Street Address: 75 Gulmahmadov Street City: Khorog, GBAO Country: Tajikistan Electronic mail address: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Address #2 Attention: State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan Street Address: 27 Shotemur Street Floor/Room number: 1st floor, off. #10-11 City and Country: Dushanbe, Tajikistan The deadline for bid submission is: Date: 1 May, 2023 Time: 14H00 (Dushanbe time) Tender mailbox ? 1 The envelope size should not exceed 0.8 cm high and 28 cm wide. The application may contain several envelopes of the size indicated above.

Source: Asia-Plus

An article by Ms. Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia, and Mr. William Seitz, World Bank Senior Economist, notes that globally, women earn about 80% of what men earn on average. But the gap is reportedly larger in Central Asia: working women earn about 60% of what men earn in Tajikistan, 61% in Uzbekistan, 75% in Kyrgyzstan, and 78% in Kazakhstan. The article entitled 'For Faster Growth, Central Asia Must Confront Biased Perceptions about the Value of Women's Work', in particular, says that where women are empowered, they can contribute their full potential-leading to a more diverse and dynamic workforce. Countries with higher levels of gender equality reportedly have much higher national income per person, and faster growth, while in Central Asia, a pattern of low pay and low employment rates among women directly reduces the size of the region's economies and increases the number of people living in poverty. If women across Central Asia were to participate in equal measure to men, national income would be anywhere from 27% higher in Kazakhstan to 63% higher in Tajikistan. In Uzbekistan, equalizing the average wage among women and men who are already working would alone pull more than 700,000 people out of poverty. Research using the World Bank's Listening to Central Asia surveys, which on monthly basis interview members of thousands of households in four countries of the region, points to restrictive gender norms and the ways these norms translate into discrimination. Over two-thirds of respondents across the region in 2022 reportedly said that women should prioritize caregiving and home responsibilities over work outside of the home, while men should be the primary breadwinners (see Figure 1). Between 20-50% also said that married women should earn less than their husbands for the sake of family harmony. And these patterns were relatively similar whether respondents lived in urban or rural areas. All of this demonstrates the high prevalence of restrictive gender norms and expectations that discourage women's full participation in the labor market. These experiments show that social norms drive unequal economic outcomes between men and women across Central Asia. Beyond individual preferences, barriers limit opportunities to both men and women with respect to their work and incomes, disproportionately harming employment prospects for women. Through lower incomes and less economic activity, these patterns contribute to higher poverty rates and slower economic growth. Removing legal barriers to equality is a critical first step to addressing this, and several governments are taking decisive action. Last year, Uzbekistan was the first in Central Asia to join 95 other countries around the world and almost all high-income countries in mandating equal pay between men and women for work of equal value. The other governments in Central Asia should follow suit and actively implement equal pay requirements in practice. In 2021, Kazakhstan lifted restrictions on 'banned professions' where women were previously not permitted to work. Countries in Central Asia that continue banning women from professions should follow this example and remove all such restrictions. However, legal reform alone will not reverse the social norms that perpetuate gender imbalances in work and pay. To tackle these inequalities, employers, workers, governments, and the public must confront widespread perceptions about the role and value of women's work. Without general agreement that discrimination and inequality of opportunity are injustices to be addressed, Central Asia will continue to underperform in reducing poverty and achieving inclusive growth.

Source: Asia-Plus

Employees of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan revealed illegally built apartment buildings. Press center of the SCNS reported.

«It was established that the employees of the Jalal-Abad Regional Directorate of the Department of State Architectural and Construction Control, the Jalal-Abad Regional Department for Urban Planning and Architecture did not carry out state architectural and construction supervision to verify the compliance of the work performed with the requirements of technical regulations and project documentation in the process of construction of multi-storey residential buildings,» the statement says.

It is noted that officials, in collusion with representatives of construction companies, allowed uncontrolled and unauthorized construction of facilities without the presence of positive conclusions from the examination of design and estimate documentation of authorized state bodies.

Source: 24.kg News Agency

The Social Fund of Kyrgyzstan plans to set the minimum pension in the amount of 3,170 soms. The head of the fund Baktiyar Aliyev announced at a meeting of the Committee on Social Policy of the Parliament.

If amendments to the Law on State Pension Social Insurance are adopted, the pension will increase from 70 to 260 percent. This will require 4 billion soms.

«We propose to set the minimum pension in the amount of 3,170 soms. If the changes are adopted, the pensions of 53,000 pensioners will increase,» he said.

According to Baktiyar Aliyev, there are 745,000 pensioners in the country to date. «We are also simplifying the process of getting pensions. Now it is enough to have a passport,» the head of the Social Fund added.

In addition, it is proposed to prohibit early retirement. «If 55,000 pensioners retire early for a year, 90 percent of them are civil servants who receive wages and pensions,» he told.

Source: 24.kg News Agency

Members of the parliamentary committee on budget, economic and fiscal policy approved amendments to the Tax Code of Kyrgyzstan in the second reading.

But before that, the Chairman of the Committee, Daniyar Tolonov, put to a vote the proposals of the deputies, on which the Cabinet of Ministers gave ambiguous answers. In particular, deputies and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, headed by Daniyar Amangeldiyev, supported and adopted a decision on:

— Reducing the tax rate from 0.5 to 0.1 percent for entrepreneurs in markets, whose annual turnover does not exceed 100 million soms;

— Postponing the introduction of penalties for non-use of electronic consignment notes for six months;

— Reduction of tax for public catering outlets in the regions from 5 to 4 percent;

— Increase in excise tax on all types of tobacco products.

As a result, the deputies unanimously approved the draft tax code.

Daniyar Amangeldiev also noted that the Cabinet of Ministers agreed with the proposal of the deputies on the need to publish declarations of civil servants.

Deputy Akylbek Tumonbaev withdrew his initiative to convert the piece excise tax on tobacco products into kilograms.

Source: 24.kg News Agency