Small business and private entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan confidently turn into the main component of the gross domestic product structure, which involves most of socially active population. The proportion of small and private companies and firms in 2011, declared as the Year of small business and private entrepreneurship, in GDP was 54%, industry - 20.7%, exports - 16.2% and employment - 74.4%. These figures were announced at a meeting of the Central Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. The importance of practical measures to stimulate development of small business and entrepreneurship implemented by the government and aimed at raising this field to a new level has been highlighted. The created favorable business environment - new incentives, preferences and opportunities provided in accordance with the laws, decrees, and orders - has improved the speed and efficiency of this important sector. The achieved results have a direct impact on addressing topical issues such as providing employment for population, increasing its revenues, further strengthening of our stable life. Direct result of government support became an increase of the number of small and private companies and firms among registered enterprises and organizations in Uzbekistan. The number of small businesses last year reached 470,000 - 90% of the total number. 33,000 new businesses have been opened. Their number increased in all sectors: industry, agriculture, transport, communications, construction, trade and food industry. At the meeting of the Central Council of CCI in was noted that the number of small and private enterprises with participation of foreign capital increases. Last year alone, experts of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry assisted in creation of 44 companies with foreign investments worth more than $7.8 million in statutory fund. Nine new promising productions were created in the textile industry, five - in the production of building materials, three - in processing of agricultural products. The volume of exports by small and private businesses increased by 70% compared to 2010. In 2011, they exported products worth $1.7 billion. Today, production of small and private companies of Uzbekistan is sold in 81 countries. The main buyers are Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, China, and since last year they were also Chile, Sweden, Norway and other states. Today, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan has 21 representative offices in foreign countries. They carry out prompt informing of foreign business circles about the possibilities of rapidly growing small business in Uzbekistan. The list of commercial offers for 940 kinds of Uzbek products prepared for overseas buyers contains detailed information on more than 600 domestic manufacturers. With the assistance of the Chamber more than 80 exhibitions were held in Uzbekistan involving more than 5.8 thousand Uzbek and foreign entrepreneurs. They were attended by more than 203 thousand people. For 414 entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan participated in 36 exhibitions abroad (Spain, Portugal, India, China and other countries). In the framework of visits of foreign delegations 52 cooperation exchanges were held last year between 2,790 Uzbek entrepreneurs and business people of the United States, Singapore, India, Germany, Poland, China, Korea, Japan, Norway and other states. In the course of the visits of more than 3.8 thousand representatives of the Uzbek businesses established direct contacts and discussed trade and investment cooperation with foreign businessmen. Cooperating with large domestic companies under the State program of localization, small businesses and private entrepreneurship of Uzbekistan actively purchased mini-technologies and compact equipment for their business development in 2011. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has provided direct assistance to 204 businesses in the acquisition of modern technology and equipment totaling $14.5 million from China, Russia, Germany, Italy, Korea and other countries. The main mechanism of assistance in finding the equipment is the organization of business visits of Uzbek businessmen abroad, participation in exhibitions and business meetings held outside the country and in the country. Support for local entrepreneurs is carried out on various activities - discovery, development and restructuring of its business to foreign markets, attracting foreign investment to the provision of exchange services and legal support. The meeting of the Central Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan focused on legal issues. It was, particularly, noted that for the interests of businesses in the past year 11,718 claims have been sent to courts totaling 471.1 billion sums (Exchange rate of CB 1USD-1811,86 soums), $ 20.6 million and 5.7 million euros. Most of the claims were completely satisfied. Currently, all the regional offices of the CCI, with the exception of Kashkadarya, Sirdaryo, Tashkent regions and Tashkent city, have arbitration courts. Last year, they viewed 446 cases worth 12.9 billion soums and $79 thousand. 414 cases were satisfied and the rest are pending. The meeting participants identified the main tasks of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 2012. The main objective is creation of a favorable business environment to do family business. It is planned to implement measures to provide greater freedom for entrepreneurship, promote the increase in production and export of domestic products, as well as the establishment of mechanisms to prevent unlawful interference to the financial and economic activities of small businesses and private entrepreneurship, further improving the legislation regulating the activities of businesses. The priorities include ensuring accelerated development of transport infrastructure and engineering and communication systems, with a glance to the experience of foreign countries, by attracting foreign experts for training. Particular emphasis was placed on the action \"One entrepreneur, three partners\" on business support, dissemination (Source: UzReport.uz)