Kazakh oil companies allotted over USD 500 mln for social development of infrastructure

ASTANA. January 28. KAZINFORM /Kanat Kulshmanov/ A roundtable on Efficiency of social projects of extracting companies is being held in Okan Intercontinental Hotel in Astana today, Kazinform reports.

?Kazakhstan oil companies have allotted more than USD 500 mln for the social development of oil-producing regions? infrastructure. However, results of the polls showed low efficiency of the projects implemented at these means. Issues regarding ecological problems, high level of morbidity and low level of education, employment, lack of infrastructure remain unsolved?, Director of the program ?Kazakhstan revenue watch? of the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan Anton Artemyev says. During the discussion the attendees were demonstrated a documentary ?Money Thrown to the Wind? about the life of oil producing regions of Kazakhstan, the projects financed by oil companies and the needs of the population. The film tells about the most expensive projects: a roofed swimming pool in the city of Atyrau worth USD 14.5 mln, a sport and recreation center in Zhanaozen town ? USD 14 mln, electrification in Atyrau ? USD 12 mln, construction of a Kazakh Drama Theater in Uralsk ? USD 10 mln and construction of a vocational-technical school in Kulsary town ? USD 9 mln. The event was organized by Central Asian League of Strategic Management of the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan.