Representatives of the Kazakhstani vegetable oil industry appealed to Uzbekistan to reduce the time required to obtain veterinary permits for the transit of sunflower meal and oil cake through Uzbek territory. This issue was raised during the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum held in Tashkent.
The Chairman of the Association of Oilseed Processors of Kazakhstan stated that according to current regulations, processing transit permits on the Uzbek side take about 30 working days. He emphasized that sunflower meal and oil cake are processed products, and currently, they have to wait almost thirty working days for approval from the Uzbek side.
For comparison, the chairman noted that transit permits in countries through which Kazakh sunflower meal is sent to Europe are issued in no more than 10 working days. Thus, producers of processing enterprises in Uzbekistan wait three times longer, and they call for the reduction of approval times to a level comparable to other transit countries.
Davron Vakhabov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, stated that this problem will be discussed at the business council meeting the next day with the participation of a representative from the recently established food safety agency. He proposed making representatives of bodies responsible for issuing business permits permanent participants of the council.
Kanat Sharlapayev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs 'Atameken' of Kazakhstan, supported this proposal, noting that it is the right approach that allows bodies to participate in the business council and maintain dialogue.
Kazakhstan maintains its status as a leading supplier of vegetable oils to Uzbekistan and supplies almost all of Central Asia with high-protein sunflower meal, which is used in poultry and livestock farming. According to industry estimates, the volume of vegetable oil and sunflower meal supplies from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan will amount to about 650,000 tons worth 440–445 million US dollars during the first nine months of the current season, which is 27% more than in the previous season.
The share of packaged refined vegetable oil has also increased. In the first nine months of the current season, it accounted for approximately 38% of the total supply volume, compared to about 30% in each of the two previous seasons. In absolute terms, the supply of packaged refined oil has grown almost 2.6 times over the last three seasons.
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have reached an agreement to increase the period during which citizens of both countries can stay in the territory of the other country without needing to undergo mandatory registration. The new period is set at 15 days after crossing the border.
According to information provided by the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan to Podrobno.uz, this protocol was signed on July 30. The signing took place as a result of meetings between the heads of state of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The document, which supplements the bilateral agreement on mutual travel concluded in 2006, stipulates that citizens of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are no longer required to register permanently or temporarily with the relevant state bodies of the host country within the first fifteen days after entry.
Previously, according to Kyrgyz legislation, Uzbek citizens were obliged to personally register with the internal affairs bodies within five days of arrival.
It should be noted that Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have previously concluded a treaty of alliance and have settled many bilateral issues between themselves.
