"On measures to further liberalize foreign economic activity in the Republic of Uzbekistan"

Decree of the President of Uzbekistan

With a view to ensuring further liberalization of foreign economic activity, eliminating administrative methods of control over the transaction of export-import operations and improving the foreign trade regulation mechanism, the following is decreed:

1. To abolish, starting October 1, 2003, the preliminary registration of import contracts with the Agency for Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

To lay down that subject to examination by the Agency for Foreign Economic Relations are only the following types of import contracts:

- those financed out of state budget appropriations;

- those funded by credits (loans) attracted by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan or supported with its guarantee;

- those made by economic operators, with the share of state assets in their authorized capital exceeding 50 per cent, whiсh lack the required currency resources of their own.

2. To introduce, with effect from October 1, 2003, a system of import contract customs monitoring that encompasses a whole complex of measures designed to register imported goods and to carry out their customs assessment, as well as to ensure that authorized banks exchange relevant information.

To confer powers on the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, regarding it as a body authorized to ensure efficient customs monitoring of import contracts.

3. To consider null and void Points 3 and 4 of the February 18, 1998 Presidential Decree, "On additional measures to regulate import operations".

4. To execute the present Decree, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, within a week, has to approve a corresponding resolution.

5. U. Sultanov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is entrusted with overseeing the implementation of the present Decree.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.Karimov
September 26, 2003