News from Tashkent Uzbekistan - October 2001
11/6/2001 10:50:00 PM
by John W McCoy
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| In the last two months since my return to Uzbekistan working on financial sector reform program funded by World Bank, I am continually amazed at the reluctance to change in the banking sector. There is a lot of talk and shifting of papers prepared by highly paid foreign consultants on various technical projects for the donor organizations and agreed by the government. |
News from Tashkent Uzbekistan - October 2001
And life goes on each day with a new surprise always around the corner in Uzbekistan.
Author John W. McCoy recently arrived in Tashkent to take up an assignment with the financial sector reform programs sponsored by World Bank for the Uzbekistan banking system. The observations are the author's only. John W. McCoy recently published two novels (works of fiction) through American Book Publishing Group - Hidden Money and Leaving it Behind. Both novels have had popular acclaim from those readers who have read them and can be purchased direct from the publisher on www.pdbookstore.com or through www.amazon.com or www.borders.com or through www.authorsden.com.
In the last two months since my return to Uzbekistan working on financial sector reform program funded by World Bank, I am continually amazed at the reluctance to change in the banking sector. There is a lot of talk and shifting of papers prepared by highly paid foreign consultants on various technical projects for the donor organizations and agreed by the government. The consultants keep chipping away hoping to make progress remembering that the recipients of the donor loans and grants make the final decisions. So the consultants are tolerated, listened to and the reports with recommendations are read carefully and filed for another day. This seems to be the case for the most part. However, there are some very bright talented people in the banks, central bank and government department who see that changes are necessary if the banking industry is to move into a market oriented environment. But they are not, at this point in time, in a position of authority to make the decisions for change. It is only a question time before they may be in those positions.
In my spare time and as a defense to professional frustrations, I try to catch up on my personal writing and book publishing endeavors. Since arriving in Uzbekistan two months ago, work has been non-stop. And it's also a country sitting on a potential firing line with the recent tragic events involving terrorism and the American military involvement in Afghanistan. In Tashkent, all we hear on CNN & BBC are the speculative reports of journalists in need of more stories to keep their jobs active, but the real world is out here. Most of us turn the TVs off, and listen to the reports on the streets. Evacuation plans have been made for us, if necessary. If it becomes necessary, it will be a quick departure with maybe one suitcase. But over which border are the questions still to be answered. But for the most part, we sit, wait, work and go about life as if life is normal. Tragic things did happen in early September and that has changed forever the lives of people and changed the focus of political thinking worldwide. Things are calm here, for the moment, but we have learned over the years, in this type of work, to live and accept life as it comes on a daily basis - and that includes our professional work. Tomorrow does not exist and it is never promised. It becomes a simple daily process and then we continue living, working and, for me, writing in my spare time.
I plan to submit my third completed novel (fiction) before December. I am having discussions now with a major publisher and the success of my first novels is making things easier. The main plot in "The Users" has a direct bearing on what is currently happening in the government and financial circles around the world on financing terrorist (and drugs) through money laundering - et voila the old BCCI - Nugen Hand Bank and it goes on. Regulations are being changed and control being put in place to trap the culprits - but it will never stop. And at the center of all the money laundering games are the banks - et voila. And why not! The bankers make profits on both sides of the deal.
In the meantime, there is a lot of work to do here to resolve a few negative positions in the financial sector of Uzbekistan that's going downhill fast. The fear of change for the government officials is a fear of losing control. It a typical sign in most transitional countries until, at some point, the old guard is replaced by a newer guard.
Besides who knows where we will be next month with the US forces already in Afghanistan and the Uzbek troops fully active on the northern border of Afghanistan.
John W. McCoy
www.bookworm.au.com
www.authorsden.com
jwmccoy.bcc.com.uz
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