News from Uzbekistan: increase of seats in the legislature, setting up a free economic region in the province of Navoiy

Navoiy viloyati ahamiyatli tabiiy resurslarga, shu jumladan, tabiiy gaz, neft, rangli metall va qurlishi uchun xom-ashyo materiallariga boy hisoblanadi. Viloyat iqtisodiyotining asosiy tarkibi yirik konchilik, metallurgiya va kimyoviy majmualardan iborat. Navoiy viloyatida joylashgan Navoiy kon-metallurgiya kombinati (NKMK) dunyoda eng sof oltin ishlab chiqaruvchilardan biridir. Viloyatda, shuningdek, sement zavodi, kimyo majmui va bir qator yirik sanoat zavodlari faoliyat ko`rsatmoqda.

Two small pieces of news I found today in Turkish on Uzbekistan:

• Uzbekistan will increase the number of seats in the lower legislature from 120 to 150 (first sentence says 130 but I think that's a typo), in accordance with a resolution passed by the senate. Legislative elections will next take place in December 2009. Uzbekistan has a population of 28 million (the most in Central Asia) and has had a bicameral parliament since 2004.
• Uzbekistan is setting up its first "Free Industrial and Economic Region" in the province of Navoiy, and will begin in January 2009, and is expected to continue for at least 30 years. Those that invest 3-10 million euro have tax-free status for 7 years, 10-30 million euro gives 10, and those that invest over 30 million euro have 15 years of tax-free status (tax-free from "various taxes"; not sure exactly which they are). Technology imported for products to be exported is also free from customs taxes.