GOVERNMENT. Weekly review: Kazakhstan's electric power industry development to exceed domestic needs
The same day the Minister of Communication and Information announced on modernization of work of the Public Service Centers. The majority of services rendered by the Centers is planned to be computerized.
On Tuesday, March 15, the Kazakh Prime Minister took part in the session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council in Minsk. He held a number of meetings within the event. The issues of extending the list of joint projects were discussed at the meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Later the Kazakh Premier met with Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich. K.Massimov noted at the meeting that the cooperation between the two states would develop in the directions set by President N.Nazarbayev and A.Lukashenko. M. Myasnikovich, in his turn, noted that the new Belarusian cabinet would provide continuity in relations with Kazakhstan. He said that the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Belarus reached the maximum level of USD 850 mln in 2010 exceeding the pre-crisis indexes by 60%. The Belarusian Premier suggested discussing cooperation in the space field. K.Massimov informed that the trade turnover of the two states was expected to increase by USD 1 bln in the nearest future. He has noted that Belarus is a country with well developed industry and agro-industrial complex. Kazakhstan also has great opportunities for cooperation in materials sector and for establishment of joint enterprises.
According to him, the establishment of the Customs Union and later the Single Economic Space provides good opportunities for cooperation development. The sides noted that due to the agreements reached earlier Kazakhstan might join the common electricity market of Russia and Belarus. Besides, the cooperation of the three states in microelectronics and nanotechnologies, engineering and other spheres, where the technologies transfer from third states is complicated, will be beneficial as well.
At the EurAsEC Interstate Council's session K.Massimov spoke for necessity of greater consolidation of all national economies due to the global events. He also noted that good results were achieved in the Customs Union's work last year. K.Massimov highly appraised the work of the CU Commission functioning at the level of First Deputy Prime Ministers. Regarding the changes in the global financial and economic system the Premier said that the agreement on holing consultations of the CU member states at the governmental level was reached. "The results and Agreement achieved during the first year of the CU work prove the efficiency of this integration union," K.Massimov said.
The Heads of the Russia, Belarusian and Kazakh Governments also addressed the issues of accession to the WTO. They also discussed the process of formation of the Single Economic Space and organization of the transfer of border control from the Russia-Kazakhstan border to the outer border of the Customs Union. Issues of formation and organization of the activity of the EurAsEC court were discussed as well as modernization of the activity of supranational bodies and a range of other issues.
After the session K.Massimov said that in accordance with the achieved agreements all problems preventing the transfer of border control to the outer border of the Customs Union were resolved.
A session of the National Security Council was held in Astana later in the day. President N.Nazarbayev chaired the session and set a number of tasks before the Government. These are development of a new draft Law "On national security" and strategic documents in this sphere, new Law on the internal affairs bodies, etc. The Head of State also charged the Government to prepare the draft Law on amnesty due to celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Kazakhstan's independence.
Discussing the issue of transport security and transport potential development the President noted that the country has paid great attention to the transport sector and transport infrastructure development. Minister of Transport and Communications Abelgazy Kussainov reported on the result of realization of big transport projects and measures on promoting transit attractiveness of Kazakhstan and transportation security provision. The Minister informed that KZT 1.4 trln has been disbursed in development of the transport-communications complex in last 10 years. To date 58 projects aimed at increasing the main indexes of the transport-communications complex are realized in order to achieve the increase in the gross value added on transport by 63%. The quality of 85% of the national and 70% of local roads is planned to be brought to good and satisfactory levels.
Kazakh Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Duisenbai Turganov informed on planed investments to the electric power industry at the republican session held in Astana on Wednesday, March 16. KZT 130 bln will be invested to the industry this year. Increase in capacities is expected at the level of 400 megawatt. The electricity production growth will essentially increase the demand of the country's economy. As the result, the power reserve will make 715 megawatt in 2015 and 1 945 megawatt in 2020.
On Thursday, March 17, the Premier held a session of the Interdepartmental Commission on oil and gas sectors. Issues of investment projects realization were discussed at the session. Later in the day the Government discussed the draft Program on countering corruption in Kazakhstan for 2011-2015.