Andrei Tsalyuk, Informational agency of financial markets �IRBIS�
Almaty
(Specially for THE GLOBE)
Along with spring snow, snowdrops and a beautiful holiday when men strew women with flowers and attention, came a completely imperceptible week for the hard currency market. It had no peps, peculiarities and, alas, nothing to define it.
Actually there was one distinguishing feature. This occurred on 11th March, after the speech of the Finance Minister and the Minister of Revenues informing the deputy assembly about data on the budget utilization for the current year. The situation described was not obviously good for us, nor for the entire country. That was the only defining moment of the week. The author has nothing to do, but tell about the main events which have taken place in the hard currency auction place of the country. At the same time, the author will express some surprise initiated by the fluctuations of dollar in the very end of the week.
Working days
Having rested for three days, the hard currency dealers came to the auction on Tuesday having no new intentions. An immediate increase of the official dollar exchange rate by tiyn 60 (up to 86.50) did not embarrass anybody much, as the National Bank simply compensated the accumulated difference between the official and the stock exchange rates. Even taking into consideration the conducted compensation, the break-away was still significant. This was especially disadvantageous for the banks, executing a significant volume of non-exchange conversion of the hard currency at the official rate.
The session on 9th March was held in accordance with the �key� of the entire previous week. The traders carried on a long positional game, trying to come to agreement on the price interval of tenge 87.05 to 87.20 per dollar under the conditions of comparatively high demand for the American currency. But the search for an agreement on price was conducted slowly. A new tendency of tenge�s exchange rate in respect with the previous week, was set frankly enough by the head bank of the country, and no surprises were expected. Nobody wanted to purchase dollars at a high price. Moreover, nobody was going to sell it at the low price. As a result, the session�s volume did not exceed USD 1.115 million, and that was mainly obtained during the last four minutes of the auction. The closing dollar exchange rate was the same, i.e. tenge 87.000 per unit.
Neither did Wednesday bring anything new. The events of the last three sessions and the uncommonly low demand of the population for cash dollar, did not promote an activation of the exchange sector of the hard currency trade. In the non-exchange market, the volumes of transactions gradually but steadily continued to decrease at the rate set in the middle of January. The traders �in a working order� took the next USD 1.195 million, having made certain of the impenetrability of the set resistant level, and left the place with an unchanged dollar price.
Surprise
It seemed to be enough. It was sufficient to understand and accept a quite logical correction of the tenge�s devaluation rate after the notable speech of the President of Kazakstan at the inauguration ceremony of GSM standard cellular communication. President Nazarbayev stated the following: �Devaluation as it had been planned, in the last year was 10%, most probably in this year it will be the same�. After these words instead of 50% of annual by the short-term tendency, a dollar exchange rate just stopped.
Thursday came. At the auction on that day nothing betokened the unexpected events. The market was stagnant, �thin� and seemed to manage without its principal participator. The dollar rate during the entire session of small-volumed operations varied within the interval of tenge 87.0500 to 87.2000 per unit. At the moment of the auction closed, the rate was 87.1450, that fixed an increase by 1450 points, i.e. tiyn 14.5 in comparison with the previous auction results. The main operation�s volume was conducted at 87.0500, and the volume of the transactions did not exceed USD 630 thousand.
There was a thought: �It happens. In accordance with the average rate an increase is insignificant, but a closing rate is a special case, as there is no organized pressure or game for increase of dollar rate.�
But then it was Friday, with a traditional increase of purchase capacity of the banks, which is initiated by weekly reimbursement of the state securities on Thursday. Everybody is now accustomed to it. Due to this fact, some increase of demand at the auction did not surprise anybody. Moreover, we are not talking about 15 or 20 millions, but only about two and a half millions. This amount was utilized by the participators only three minutes before the auction closing. But at the closing moment, the dollar rate was tenge 87.3000 per unit and it increased at once in comparison with the results of the previous session by 1550 points (tiyn 15.5).
Strictly speaking, nothing peculiar happened. And at first sight, surprise is somehow unwarranted. But�
Let�s calculate
The tenge�s devaluation calculated by the average rate is evaluated in this week by a trend of 22% of annual. This index in the previous week came to 28.46% of annual. It is obvious that the rate of tenge devaluation in comparison with dollar has decreased significantly. But is it sufficient, if we take into consideration the low demand of the second level banks and the ease with which it was possible to keep tenge at the level of the beginning of the week, and by these means to earn �a safety margin� for the future?
The tenge�s devaluation rate calculated from the beginning of the year (a long-term tendency) as per the average rate of AFINEX as on the end of the week was 20.4% of annual. To come to the planned annual level of tenge 92.6 per dollar (10.2% of annual) during the rest period till 31st December, the tenge should devalue with a rate not higher than 7.5% of annual. But for this year, such a low weekly tempo has not been observed at all.
So, will dollar cost 92.6 by 31st December tenge or not?
Objective
An objective of the proceeding article is not to sow discord or doubts. Discord and doubts can be sowed only by indefiniteness, silence and uncertainty, and by inconsequential actions along with the absence of any comments. But discord and doubt are not created by an increase of dollar exchange rate by tiyn 15.5 during the auction day.
Against a background of more and more thick clouds over our country and of a flow of, frankly speaking, bad news from all the sectors of our young developing market, the good news are just necessary. For the time being, a strictly promised devaluation level expected by the end of the year is the best news that can be desired. Within the last three years we have become used to the National Bank fulfilling the planned indices concerning devaluation. Due to this fact, enterprises can plan their operations, banks can plan their activities, and the most literate part of population is expected not to give way to ungrounded panic.
The last week brought to the financial capital snow, snowdrops and happy smiles of our beloved women. But it also brought some indefiniteness.
Now nearly everyone in our country is worried about the present state of affairs in our economy. Only a few of those who are absolutely sure about their own future are not worried. Fear has become a kind of disease of the society.
My interlocutor is an economist in authority and one of the authors of the numerous projects which have been worked upon, in the hope of bettering the future of Kazakhstani people. Most of the projects were cast off for nothing, due to the lack of common sense in the country. This year the economical situation will deteriorate, he thinks.
1. Concerning the principles of shaping the 1999 budget
�I was once again astonished by my dear government. Our leaders have proposed the introduction of a 0,5% tax on buyers of foreign currency to help pregnant women. Deputies of the parliament were very enthusiastic about this initiative from the Finance Ministry. Shame on them! It was just a show. These deputies understand better than anybody else that the monies would once again not be squeezed from the tough businessmen but from poor pensioners, teachers. Just as previously monies were taken from population for ecological, road and whatever other funds, but failed to improve our ecology, roads and so on.�
2. On how money are spent
�A situation in which money is spent and the state coffers are not replenished while investors� activity reaches zero, is clearly unsustainable. Disintegration of the industrial sphere makes the country a desert. Eventually all outdated securities would be lost if not sold to foreign investors, such as the case of Power Consolidated. Meanwhile the available securities are spent on erecting a new capital of the country which, according to foreign experts has cost some 2 billion dollars. In my opinion, the real cost will total up to 3.5-4 billion dollars. These dollars are, no doubt, budget money�.
3. Concerning the official economy and the unofficial one
� The unofficial economy exceeds the official one by 300-400%. The government is to be blamed for that. This development is quite understandable: people are seeking ways to survive. A full 70% of the population can now be considered representatives of the shadow economy. The people continues to hoard dollars.
When prices for raw materials were high the system was sustainable, because the government had access to substantial export earnings in hard currency and the system worked. However, now that commodity prices have collapsed, the state has found itself in desperate need of money, particularly hard currency. Thus the introduction of a new tax on buying dollars.
4. Concerning tenge
�The tenge is rather stable because it constitutes only 7-8% of GDP, a miserable sum of money, indeed. The budget is empty, nothing is to be devaluated. The government cannot offer a realistic anti-crisis program. Should we print money? Maybe the process has already started? I am not in favour of this method of tackling the problem�.
5. Concerning the ways of tackling the crisis
Domestic production can survive only through governmental support. Appeals to small and middle size businesses are of no use. Taxes kill the economy. Once upon a time Fuko, the French Finance Minister, proposed: �Enrich yourself everybody!� All taxes had been canceled for some time, and the country rose from the knees in three years. We cannot afford it to the full extent, but something ought to be done to ease the burden on the population. The latter surely has some money, but is afraid to entrust its savings to local banks as well as to the state. The authorities lobby for their own interests and resist foreign banks inside the country. All that is going on may be called the state racket.
7. Concerning the governmental irresponsibility
The government seems active, but doesn�t control the situation. So it pretends that it�s working while actually fulfilling nothing of the planned things. Every one of them is afraid to accept personal responsibility, so prefers things go all by themselves�.
Prepared by Kulimkhan Khasenova
BEIJING
March 11
(AFP)
Several thousand Muslim �separatist� incidents ranging from murder to bomb attacks have been recorded in China�s troubled Xinjiang region (see map) in the past decade, its governor admitted Thursday.
But Ablait Abdureschit dismissed the importance of the separatist movement in the northwestern region bordering the former Soviet Central Asian republics.
�Since the start of the 1990s, if you count explosions, assassinations and other terrorist activities, it comes to a few thousand incidents,� he told reporters on the sidelines of the National People�s Congress, or parliament.
�But that is very little for a population of 17 million people, of whom eight million are Uighurs,� he added.
The governor also confirmed that the authorities had last year broken up the Party of Allah and arrested all its members in the city of Hetian.
�As you know, the party was at the origin of a lot of terrorist activity in recent years but we have arrested all its members, 22 in all.�
The Party of Allah had been calling for the total independence of Xinjiang, a Muslim-majority region. The Chinese authorities only admitted the party�s existence in 1997 but they said at the time there were around 1,600 fundamentalist activists.
In January 1997 anti-Chinese riots in Yining, near the frontier with Kazakhstan, left between 10 and 100 dead. The same month nine people were killed in bomb attacks on buses in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi.
Abdureschit said the region had been calm last year, though admitted there were still �a few problems� such as explosions �which can happen in any country.�
�But we are fighting separatism wherever it hits because it is a threat to the security of the country,� said the governor, while adding that the authorities preferred education to repression to instill patriotism.
According to the governor, around 100,000 ethnic Han Chinese had moved to Xinjiang since the 1980s.
�I have heard the figure of one million mentioned, but these are mainly temporary migrants who come for the cotton harvest but only stay a few months,� Abdureschit said.
Xinjiang is considered a get-rich region by people from poorer parts of China but many immigrants become permanent residents, analysts say. But migrants are not counted in the populations. According to official figures, 38 per cent of the population is Han Chinese.
Uighurs are still predominant in the countryside and in southern Xinjiang and the city of Kashgar, but the Hans are more important in the main cities like Xinjiang.
�This is not full stop, this is comma, after which the continuation goes�
Folk wisdom
ALMATY, March 4 (THE GLOBE and KISEF)
We continue to publish analytical materials on the presidential election process (THE GLOBE #7(325), Jan.26, #100 (318-319), Dec.31, #96 (314), Dec.11)
This time we have polled 150 experts, residents of 5 Kazakh cities.
One third of the polled persons believe that before 2006, the date of the next presidential election, the ahead of schedule competition of presidential candidates would take place. In the opinion of all experts, the main candidates actually must be Nursultan Nazarbayev (29,3%) and Akezhan Kazhegeldin (28,8%). Their chances are equal in Shimkent and Petropavl. In Almaty and Karaganda, Nazarbayev is ahead of Kazhegeldin, but in Ustkamen he is past him.
As for the past presidential election, 50% of the experts consider the results fair (with variations from 55,7% to 42,9 in Almaty and Shimkent respectively). Experts from regions are rather unanimous in evaluation of Nazarbayev�s victory: nearly 75% of the respondents (64,3% - 87%) believe that it became possible only because Nazarbayev actually did not have strong rivals. On the eve of the presidential election, two independent groups of researchers tried to give their prognosis of the forthcoming results. It is interesting to compare their data with what the media had at the disposal after the election. The percentage of those who showed loyalty to Nazarbayev varied greatly. The prognosticated figure � 37,2% - turned out twice lower than that of the official sources.
Experts offer their point of view on the election process and the results of the presidential election. They are analyzing the government, the media and political situation in Kazakhstan.
We continue the analytical work.
1. Research is conducted in the frame of the contact with EU European commission in Kazakstan.
Main methods of research
In the frame of the contact with EU European commission The Globe and Kazakstan institute on social-economic information and prognosis on January, 25 to 31, 1999 conducted the next questioning of the experts in five regions of the republic (Almaty, Karaganda, Petropavlovsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shymkent). The theme of the researches is evaluation of the results of the presidential election.
The resume of the researches
- Practically all the experts are notified of the results of the election in their region, as well as of in the whole republic. Another situation with availability of information on separate regions of Kazakstan.
- A percentage of electors who took part in the election is unexpectedly high for one forth of the experts (25.8%). In Almaty this index comes to forty percent.
- The results of poll for N. Nazarbaev� s candidature are considered to be appropriate by 52.7% of the experts. 56.7% of experts in Shymkent, 50% in Almaty, 40% in Ust-Kamenogorsk, 33.3% in Petropavlovsk and 13.3% in Karaganda believe them to be excessive.
- Approximately a half of the experts (54.7%) are convinced that the results of poll for S. Abdildin are just. 53.3% of the experts in Almaty, 23.3% in Ust-Kamenogorsk, 20% in Petropavlovsk, 10% in Shymkent and 6.7% in Karaganda suppose them understated.
- 59.3% of the experts consider the results of poll for candidature of G. Kasymov appropriate. The same are believed to be understated by 43.3% of Almaty experts, 10% of Karaganda experts and 6.7% of Ust-Kamenogorsk experts.
- 70% of the experts think the results of poll for the candidature of E. Gabbasov to be natural and 6.7% of Karaganda experts consider them excessive.
- 38.9% of the experts suppose that the election promoted consolidation of the society and that it was a next step on the way to democracy.
- 43.7% of the experts think that the election raised a significant social resonance.
- Among other reasons of S. Abdildin� s failure the experts emphasize unavailability of information, absence of strongly pronounced leader�s features, absence of the reputation of �a recognized politician�
- A reason of G. Kasymov�s failure was an absence of reputation of �a recognized politician�, failure of E. Gabbasov was caused by unavailability of information, feebly marked features of a leader, absence of the reputation of �a recognized politician�
- 52.3% of the experts are satisfied with the results of the election
- Approximately one third of the experts (36.7%) consider the next extraordinary presidential election (before 2006) initiated by the parliament or any other state or public organization to be of high probability. In Almaty this index comes to 51.4%.
- The list of real candidates at the �2006� elections is headed by N. Nazarbaev (29.3%) and A. Kazhegeldin (28.7%)
- Approximately 70% of the experts are convinced in necessity to change seriously the course of the newly formed government. At the same time only 27% consider it possible.
- 35.7% of the experts trust the new composition of the government. Out of its personnel they separately mark U. Dzhandosov
- The majority of the experts (75.4%) considers that the country leadership did not take a chance to form a government of people� s trust.
- Among those, who could have enter it the experts name A. Kazhegeldin, O. Suleimenov and P. Svoik
- Among the state and public subjects which are worthy of trust, the experts name mass media (30%), some separate political parties (17.5%), the government (10.8%) and regional akimats (10%).
Was the following unexpected for you?
(% of affirmative answers)
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropavlovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| The results of the election | 16,7 | 28,3 | - | 3,3 | 5,0 | 10,7 |
| Percentage of the electors | 40,0 | 36,6 | 6,7 | 20,0 | 20,0 | 24,7 |
There is obviously another situation concerning percentage of votes given for each candidate.
Is a percentage of the votes given by the regional electors for each candidate appropriate?
| N. Nazarbaev | ||||
| Yes, it�s appropriate | It�s, probably, excessive | It�s, probably, understated | I don�t know | |
| Almaty | 50,0 | 50,0 | - | - |
| Karaganda | 83,3 | 13,3 | - | 3,3 |
| Petropavlovsk | 46,7 | 33,3 | - | 6,7 |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk | 40,0 | 60,0 | - | - |
| Shymkent | 43,3 | 56,7 | - | - |
| S. Abdildin | ||||
| Yes, it�s appropriate | It�s, probably, excessive | It�s, probably, understated | I don�t know | |
| Almaty | 33,3 | 6,7 | 53,3 | - |
| Karaganda | 80,0 | 3,3 | 6,7 | 10,0 |
| Petropavlovsk | 46,7 | - | 20,0 | 20,0 |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk | 53,3 | 23,3 | 23,3 | |
| Shymkent | 60,0 | - | 10,0 | 30,0 |
| G. Kasymov | ||||
| Yes, it�s appropriate | It�s, probably, excessive | It�s, probably, understated | I don�t know | |
| Almaty | 36,7 | 3,3 | 43,3 | 3,3 |
| Karaganda | 73,3 | 6,7 | 10,0 | 10,0 |
| Petropavlovsk | 60,0 | - | - | 26,7 |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk | 53,3 | - | 6,7 | 40,0 |
| Shymkent | 73,3 | - | - | 26,7 |
| E. Gabbasov | ||||
| Yes, it�s appropriate | It�s, probably, excessive | It�s, probably, understated | I don�t know | |
| Almaty | 73,3 | 3,3 | - | 10,0 |
| Karaganda | 80,0 | 6,7 | - | 13,3 |
| Petropavlovsk | 60,0 | - | - | 26,7 |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk | 66,7 | - | - | 33,3 |
| Shymkent | 73,3 | - | - | 26,7 |
How do you think, how a low percentage of votes, given for S. Abdildin and G. Kasymov can be explained?
| S. Abdildin | ||||||
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropav-lovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| Unavailability of proper volumeof information about the candidate | 36,7 | 33,3 | 33,3 | 70,0 | 13,3 | 37,3 |
| Absence of strongly pronounced features of a leader | 26,7 | 10,0 | 46,7 | 33,3 | 23,3 | 28,0 |
| Absence of the reputation of �a recognized politician� | 10,0 | 16,7 | 26,7 | 40,0 | 13,3 | 21,3 |
| Possible incorrectness of the Absence of charismatic features | 16,7 | 13,3 | 20,0 | 16,7 | 13,3 | 16,0 |
| G. Kasymov | ||||||
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropav-lovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| Absence of the reputation of�a recognized politician� | 30,0 | 33,3 | 53,3 | 46,7 | 23,3 | 37,3 |
| Unavailability of proper volume of information about the candidate | 30,0 | 40,0 | 13,3 | 60,0 | 23,3 | 33,3 |
| Absence of strongly pronounced features of a leader | 3,3 | 10,0 | 46,7 | 16,7 | 13,3 | 18,0 |
| Possible incorrectness of the results of voting for the candidate | 30,0 | 3,3 | 6,7 | 13,3 | 13,3 | 13,3 |
| Absence of charismatic features | 3,3 | 13,3 | 13,3 | 13,3 | 8,6 |
The second important circumstances determining success of failure of a candidate is unavailability of information. Partially this factor can clarify the situation with a small dispersion of the election results. This thesis can be confirmed by the example of G. Kasymov, who concentrated his pre-election efforts in Almaty. Here he got 12% of votes, and one third of Almaty experts consider this index to be understated. In accordance with the results of expert questioning conducted by The Globe and KISEIP in November, 1998, an access of the candidates to mass media was different, that mainly influenced on the poll results and subsequently, on the general atmosphere of the elections.
3. The results of the election
The experts� opinion regarding the results of the presidential election is not optimistic at all: approximately a half of the experts do not consider them just:
Can Kazakstan presidential election be considered as follows?
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropav-lovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| A step towards democratization of the society | 54,3 | 51,4 | 21,4 | 30,0 | 37,1 | 38,8 |
| Elections promoted people� s consolidation | 48,6 | 55,7 | 18,6 | 34,3 | 37,1 | 38,9 |
| The results of the election are just | 55,7 | 50,5 | 44,3 | 54,3 | 42,9 | 49,5 |
| The election raised a great social resonance | 55,7 | 50,0 | 31,4 | 38,6 | 42,9 | 43,7 |
Nazarbaev� s victory can be explained by absence of his real rivals:
How do you think what do the results of the held elections mean?
(% of affirmative answers)
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropav-lovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| Absence of any real rivals of Nazarbaev | 72,9 | 87,1 | 75,7 | 87,1 | 64,3 | 77,4 |
| Hope for correction of the course | 61,4 | 64,3 | 40,0 | 20,0 | 21,4 | 41,4 |
| Support by population of the course being realized at present, belief in its final success | 55,7 | 58,6 | 35,7 | 22,9 | 30,0 | 40,6 |
The initiative of the parliament to conduct the preterm presidential election, which was unexpected by many people, convinced one third (36.7%) of the experts that a similar incident may be possible before 2006. In case of the next election the list of possible candidates is supposed to be alike the previous one.
It is well-known that the next Presidential election will take place in 2006. How do you think, who may be included in the list of real candidates of the same?
| Almaty | Karaganda | Petropav-lovsk | Ust-Kamenogorsk | Shymkent | Average value | |
| N. Nazarbaev | 36,7 | 20,0 | 40,0 | 23,3 | 26,7 | 29,3 |
| A. Kazhegeldin | 30,0 | 16,7 | 40,0 | 30,0 | 26,7 | 28,7 |
| G. Kasymov | 6,7 | 16,7 | 6,7 | 6,7 | - | 7,4 |
| O. Suleimenov | 6,7 | 3,3 | 13,3 | - | 13,3 | 7,3 |
| Z. Nurkadilov | 6,7 | 6,7 | 20,0 | - | - | 6,7 |
| S. Abdildin | 3,3 | 6,7 | - | - | 13,3 | 4,7 |
| M. Auezov | 13,3 | 3,3 | - | - | - | 3,3 |
| M. Ospanov | 10 | - | - | 3,3 | - | 2,7 |
| U. Dzhandosov | 6,7 | - | - | - | - | 1,3 |
| M. Ablyazov | 6,7 | - | - | - | - | 1,3 |
| R. Aliev | 6,7 | - | - | - | - | 1,3 |
We should, not belittling importance of other persons mentioned in the list, mark a significant break-away of N. Nazarbaev and A. Kazhegeldin from the rest supposed candidates. Most probably, an absence of such a significant for the candidates component as �recognized politician� will be typical for Central Asian republics for a long time.
The last week was marked by personnel rearrangements in the big national companies-natural monopolies. Timur Kulibaev who for a long time worked as the vice-president of �Kazakoil� company became the president of �Kaztransoil�. The former head of the company Yerlan Upushev responsible for a system of pipelines intended for transportation of Kazakstan oil was appointed the first deputy Kulibaev.
Aset Nauryzbaev, the president of JSC �KEGOK� was replaced by Yevgenyi Feld, who worked before as a manager at one of the most powerful financial systems of the republic, that is �Kazcommertsbank� which during the last several years has become one of the main Kazakstan banks.
Behind Mr. Feld� s back except the mentioned bank was a number of enterprises such as Leninogorsk polymetal complex, phosphoric plants of Dzhambyl region and Mangyshlak energy complex.
As far as Mr. Kulibaev is concerned, it was impossible to get any information either about his work at �Kazakoil� or his biography, education and former positions. Press-services of �Kaztransoil� as well as of �Kazakoil� found it difficult to answer, as they do not have the required information.
It is possible that the new appointments to the Kazakstan key companies should influence on economical development of the country. Is a dismissal of the �KEGOK� president connected with creation of a single transportation system, which was proposed by the minister Serik Burkitbaev? It is well known, that Aset Nauryzbaev is against of it: �If we lump everything together, the next logical step should be introduction of fixed prices, then establishment of the Gosplan and restoration of a soviet system.� (The Globe, No. 5 (323) dated 19.01.99).
If telecommunications, pipelines, railways, Aeroflot and power networks are united in a single structure, this for sure will result in a respective change of power apportionment in the republican structure of financial-industrial groups.
Some significant personnel rearrangements were expected after inauguration by everybody, but approval of the former government disappointed a little the expectancies of the definite circles. After personnel rearrangements ceased, simultaneous appointments of two heads of the leading economical branches of the country became completely unexpected.
In accordance with the opinion of one of the sources of The Globe, the last personnel rearrangements may be considered as a preparation of storm of the prime-minister�s post. He remarked emphasized a close connection of the new minister of state profits Zeinulla Kakimzhanov and Timur Kulibaev. He supposes Yevgenyi Feld a self-dependent person and maybe independent on influence and decision of �Kazcommertsbank�. However, �Zhety kun� program of the state informational agency �Habar� elucidated intercommunication of Serik Burkitbaev and �Kazcommertsbank�, and of Yevgenyi Feld in particular.
It should be mentioned and even stated that a personnel disorder in the high authorities ranks release the managers from responsibility. No one out of the number of the discharged heads of the biggest companies reported about fulfilled work. The reasons of discharges and rearrangements are not clear absolutely for not only taxpayers but also for the press. The press-service keeps silent, information is concealed, most probably they themselves do not know what the mistake of their recently presented chief was. We had to guess or to think over what caused replacement of one high-qualified specialist (as he was introduced at the press-conferences) by another, what negative features and advantages of his follower are. Recently an information about USD 3 million, which �KEGOK� did not submitted to the tax committee was discussed in the press. Have these money gone along with the former owner of the company or been paid back to the budget? Maybe it is just ungrounded accusation of the tax structures?
There are a lot of questions, while shadow officials replace each other.
Gulbanu ABENOVA
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
© 1998 IPA House. All Rights Reserved.