Lyazzat BURMINSTROV
ALMATY, Oct 14
(Specially for THE GLOBE)
In our opinion, an interesting aspect in the change of the Kazakhstan government is that representatives of Kazcommertsbank have obviously lost their positions. In the former composition of the Cabinet of Ministers out of proprietors of 18 portfolios plus a portfolio of the National Bank�s chairman, 5 to 7 persons were somehow (rather more than less) connected with Kazcommertsbank. Practically all of them lost their sits. It seems to us obvious that representatives of Kazcommertsbank will be pushed away from their positions by presidents of national companies.
The appearance of people from Rakhat Aliev�s charger seems symbolical.
The strengthening role of the regional elite in the new government in comparison with the former positions of business, is evident.
Prime Minister: Kasymzhomart Tokaev
First deputy the Prime Minister: Alexander Pavlov
Deputy the Prime Minister: Danial Akhmetov
Deputy the Prime Minister: Yerzhan Utembaev
Finance Minister: Mazhit Yesenbaev
Minister of Economy: Zhaksybek Kulekeev
Minister of State Revenues: Zeinulla Kakimzhanov
Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade: Vladimir Shkolnik
Minister of Agriculture: Sauat Mynbaev
Minister of Internal Affairs: Kairbek Suleimenov
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Yerlan Idrisov
Minister of Information and Public Consent: Altynbek Sarsenbaev
Minister of Labour and Social Protection: Nicolai Rodostovets
Minister of Education and Science: Krymbek Kusherbaev
Minister of Defence: Sat Tokpakbaev
Minister of Justice: Baurzhan Muhamedzhanov
Minister of Ecology and Bioresurces: Serikbek Daukeev
Chairman of National Bank: Grigory Marchenko
Minister of Transport and Telecommunication has not been appointed yet
Oct 14 (Stratfor)
Kazakstan�s Foreign Ministry says that it will take a nonpolitical approach to cultivating oil export ventures prior to 2010. This approach differs from the strategies of other Central Asian republics, namely Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Kazakstan has come under increasing U.S. criticism for pursuing export arrangements with Iran and China. As a result, the Kazak government appears to have jeopardized U.S. support for near- and long-term export schedules. Kazakstan�s reluctance to sacrifice its oil reserves to regional alliances will preserve the country�s national interests into the next decade.
Kazakstan will be a critical oil and gas supplier by 2010, but does not have the financial means to become a regional oil power sooner. Current estimates indicate a capacity of 2.1 billion tons of oil and 2.4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. The Offshore Kazakstan International Operating Company, which began drilling in August 1999, is the first of a series of pending efforts to determine the precise reserve amount. If estimates are accurate, Kazakstan will need at least $80 billion to develop its energy sector.
According to Michael Davey, head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan must elicit at least $25 billion from foreign investors. To this end, Kazak President Nursultan Nazarbayev has taken measures to stimulate foreign investments while preserving substantial state control. This has drawn criticism from governments and oil concerns, which complain that Kazakstan is sacrificing private investment in order to make state-owned Kazakoil more competitive in the region and more vested in its own markets.
U.S. efforts to draw the Kazak government away from this strategy have failed. John Wolf, U.S. State Department special envoy for Caspian energy issues, has urged Nazarbayev to join the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project. This would accomplish U.S. geo-political goals in the region � barring Russia and Iran from Central Asian export � but Kazakstan would be bound to exclusive deliveries to Western Europe via Turkey. This would grossly undermine Kazakstan�s future potential export capacity.
Though Kazakstan could have the United States as a sponsor and strategic ally, Nazarbayev is holding out for his country�s long-term political and economic autonomy. Kazakstan is currently developing other sectors of its economy so that it does not follow the path of a rentier economy, and will look to partners that will expand trade beyond the oil sector. For example, pipeline routes to Iran or China, though impractical, will likely succeed given these nations� commitments to expanding trade in non-oil sectors. As Kazak officials yearn for regional power over the next decade, they will sacrifice immediate budgetary needs and remain ambivalent toward short-lived geopolitical alliances within Central Asia.
Erkanat ABENI
ALMATY, Oct 13
(THE GLOBE)
�Our company and the Russian JSC SPS (Single Power System) signed a contract on parallel work of the Kazakhstan and Russian power systems,� the first vice-president of the JSC �KEGOC� announced on Wednesday in Almaty.
Kenzhemurat Dukenbaev believes that this contract will give the Kazakhstan power producers the possibility to provide properly western region of the republic with electricity and will reduce the deficit of peak capacities.
�During realisation of this project 51% of stocks of the Ekibastuz power station-2 will be sold to cover the Kazakhstan debts before Russia,� Mr. Dukenbaev said. According to him, the debt is US$ 249 million.
Almas Mynbaev, the head of the KEGOC juridical department stated that possibly the power station-2 would be announced a bankrupt. �The electric power station has accumulated a lot of debts and the SPS rejected to buy stocks of the power station-2 in the present condition,� he said. Mr. Mynbaev added that at the first phase it was planned to sale a part of the property of the station and to repay the debt before creditors of the first three phases.
P.S. According to �Interfax� agency, the administration of the Ekibastuz electric power station-2 has not been notified about KEGOC�s decision to transfer the station to the JSC SPS.
Oct 12
(PRIME-TASS)
The government of Kazakhstan is planning to issue the decree on establishment of a new phosphor company in order �to lead this branch of the economy our of the crisis.� This was announced to PRIME-TASS by a source from the governmental circles on Tuesday.
It is supposed to establish the company on the basis of assets of enterprises �Phosphor� (Shymkent) and the Phosphor plant (Taraz), which are undergoing the bankruptcy procedure, as well as of phosphor organisations purchased from the American company Texuna Chemicals. It is expected that the new entity will be granted all privileges on railway transportation charges, tariffs of transportation of natural gas and power transit through KEGOC networks, envisaged for organisations of Kazakhstan phosphor industry.
Due to the difficult financial and economic situation at the phosphor enterprises of Kazakhstan, in 1997 to 1998 the republican government privatised them (including a part of assets of the JSC �Kazphosphor� was transferred to Texuna Chemicals, which restructured the received assets having transferred them to newly established independent organisations). However, the source in Astana informed PRIME-TASS, these measures �had not resulted in an expected improvement of the situation in the industry.�
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