DATES OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED.
RFE/RL correspondents in Astana quote press service of the Kazakh President as reporting that according to presidential Decree signed on July 07, elections to the Kazakh Parliament�s Upper Chamber - Senate will be held on September 17, and elections to the Lower Chamber - Mazhilis will take place on October 10 this year. Zaghipa Baliyeva - Chairwoman issued a Decree the same day according to which elections to the local Maslikhats - Councils, will be organized on October 10 this year. Eric Collins - OSCE`s representative in Almaty told RFE/RL correspondents today that the idea to hold the Parliamentary elections in September and October had not surprised him, adding that it was a good time for holding the polls from technical standpoint and taking the weather conditions into account. Mr. Collins said he had no answer to the question about the mechanism of Presidential Decree�s having been signed. The question was about the fact that President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed such an important document while spending his short-term vacations in Turkey. Independent politician Dos Koshim said to RFE/RL correspondents that holding the Parliamentary elections earlier in September meant another obstacle for opposition movements and parties to get registered for participation in the races as candidates.
PRESIDENT NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV MET HIS TURKISH COUNTERPART SULEYMAN DEMIREL IN TURKEY. Kazakh Presidential Press Service also informed RFE/RL correspondents in Astana that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev hold working meeting with the Turkish President Suleyman Demirel on July 6, President Nazarbayev�s birthday. The sides discussed the future perspectives for the mutual, bilateral cooperation in wide range of spheres. Presidents Nazarbayev and Demirel also discussed a number of regional and international matters, including Caspian oil transportation issue, cultural and academic exchange programs, investments, trade and so on. President Nazarbayev invited Turkish leader Suleyman Demirel to visit Kazakhstan this fall.
KAZAKH PARLIAMENT TO START DISCUSSING DRAFT LAWS ON COURTS AND JUDGES STATUS THIS WEEK. RFE/RL correspondents report that on July 10, the Kazakh Parliament will start discussing new laws on Republican Courts and Judges status. It is expected that drastic reforms in the Court system will be introduced. Two-chamber system will replace the former Soviet system of Court in Kazakhstan.
KAZAKH NATIONAL MUSIC ACADEMY IN ASTANA GETS MOBIL OIL�S GRANT. According to information provided by RFE/RL correspondents from Astana - the capital, Kazakh National Music Academy led by well known musician Ayman Musakhozhayeva, received a financial grant from the U.S. giant - Mobil Oil. The ceremony of the grant�s handing will take place tomorrow, on July 9, in the building of the National Music Academy in Astana.
(RFE/RL), July 8
Erkanat ABENI
ALMATY
July 7
(THE GLOBE)
Taxpayers do not see any concrete results of their payments, the representative of the Public Fund �Forming of Tax Culture� announced in Almaty on July 6.
According to Sholpan Baibolova, at the present time, taxpayers do not know for what and how their deductions to the budget are spent. Not even the purpose of the single social tax, which is 21% of the salary, has determined.
Possible ways to regulate the problems of social guarantees for the population and ways to use social payments were discussed at the international workshop �Social provision and taxpayers� rights in the post-totalitarian states� held from June 28 to 29 in Astana, Mrs. Baibolova stated.
Another problem is that many tax documents contradict both each other and the Tax Code, the chairman of the Central Asian Fund of systematic research believes. Maira Salykova emphasised that only 3.5 million taxpayers paid taxes in Kazakhstan out of almost 6 million of potential taxpayers. Instead of supporting local producers, the state is increasing tax rates. Thus, the government is forcing the remaining manufacturers to either avoid paying taxes, or to close their enterprises.
�In addition, the government abandons all social privileges making the conditions of the poor strata of the population worse,� Mrs. Salykova thinks.
The result of the international workshop was a final document containing recommendations on the discussed problems to all branches of the authorities. Constructive decisions were also worked out, the representative of the Fund �Forming of Tax Culture� announced.
�We hope that representatives of the authorities will react to our proposals, though in our country results may be gained only either by demonstrations or through the mass media,� Sholpan Baibolova emphasised.
ALMATY, July 6
(THE GLOBE)
�This is the first forum in the territory of the former USSR that is dedicated to the problems of the third millennium, which is quickly approaching,� a representative of the UN Department of Public Information announced at a press conference in Almaty.
On July 21 to 23, 1999, a forum of non-governmental organisations (NGO) of the Central-Eurasian countries entitled �Millennium: results and perspectives� will be held in Kazakhstan�s southern capital. This forum will be the preparation for the �Assembly of the millennium� which will be held at the UN headquarters.
According to the conference organisers, the international committee �World Transformation�, participants at the Almaty forum will discuss how to reform the UN and old conceptions of international relations.
All the other reform ideas were provided in the �Transformation of the obsolete global relations� program which was presented for the first time at the World Congress of journalists in May 1998 in Moscow. It is noteworthy that this program was worked out by some of Kazakhstan�s NGOs.
Participants are supposed to approve a declaration, based upon the results of the forum, which will be submitted to the UN. The government is also expected to be represented at the forum.
ALMATY, July 6 (AFP)
Kazakhstan managed to produce 6.7 million tonnes of oil in the first quarter of the year despite production declines by foreign oil companies, the Interfax news agency said on Tuesday.
Kazakhstan�s first quarter production amounted to 94.9 percent of the forecast even though foreign oil firms �steadily decreased the level of their hydrocarbons production,� which is �directly dependent on competitive world oil prices,� Interfax quoted the state statistics agency as saying.
The output of Kazakhoil, Kazakhstan�s state oil concern, for the first quarter production was slightly higher than planned at 1.25 million tonnes, Interfax said.
The giant oil field Tenghizchevroil, a joint venture with Kazakhoil led by U.S. oil giants Chevron and Mobil, saw its output decline from 13,900 tonnes for the first quarter of 1998 to 12,400 tonnes for the first three months of this year.
In February, Kazakhstan cut off its oil shipments to Azerbaijan as a result of a price row over transport tariffs after Tenghizchevroil asked Baku to lower tariffs in light of low world oil prices. The shipments have since resumed.
The resource-rich Central Asian republic relies heavily on revenue from oil exports and has seen its economy suffer in large part from the drop in world oil prices.
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