GOVERNMENT: Kazakhstan attracts finances from international organizations for implementation of energy saving projects

As Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ermek Kusherbayev informed at the CCS briefing that the first session of the General Assembly of the Islamic Organizations for Food Security would be held in Astana on April 28. The event is scheduled to be held within the framework of the 7^th session of the ministerial conference of the OIC on Food Security and Development of Agriculture. The office of the established organization is planned to be located in Astana.

Kazakhstan will head the organization for the first three years. The rules of financial procedures, management and the budget of the organization for the nearest five years will be approved at the session. The establishment of the organization will allow Kazakhstan to increase its export potential.

Besides, the sitting of the Kazakh-American special commission for partnership in the energy sphere was held in Astana this week as well. Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev and US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz signed a joint statement of the Kazakh-American commission on partnership in the energy sphere. The parties discussed the issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the USA in the sphere of development of the nuclear industry and nuclear security issues. E. Moniz noted that the USA intended to assist in increasing production of oil and gas at the oil fields of Kazakhstan.

At the international conference titled "Attraction of investments to projects on energy saving and increasing of energy efficiency in the budget sphere and small and medium-sized business" held in Astana, Minister of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan Asset Issekeshev told that as a result of the audits it was obvious that Kazakhstan had a potential of energy saving up to 15%.

In 2016, Kazakhstan will enter into 10 energy service contracts on energy saving and energy efficiency raising projects. The government cooperates with international financial organizations in order to invite their specialists to join conclusion of energy service contracts. The consolidated volume of foreign grants and loans from international financial institutions invested in energy efficiency projects during the period from 2012 through 2019 will make 100 mln U.S. dollars. An Energy Efficiency Fund is planned to be established on the ground of Astana International Financial Centre in 2017.

The National Institute for Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency Development plans to capitalize Energy Efficiency Fund at the expense of international financial institutions. With the assistance of the World Bank, Kazakhstan modernizes now 100 social facilities under the energy efficiency raising project. 44 social projects were selected in 2015-2016 (kindergartens, hospitals, schools and street lighting). 19 of them have already been provided with design and feasibility estimation, construction and assembling operations are underway.

Besides, as Minister of Investments and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev noted, Kazakhstan will digitize historical data about consumption of fuel and energy resources. Joint monitoring of energy consumption data – SMART METERING – is planned to be launched. The establishment of SMART METERING will be a basic technological decision for digital economy.

 At a conference in Almaty, Chairman of the State Revenues Committee Daulet Ergozhin told that Kazakhstan applied to the World Bank with a proposition to divide the indicator “International Trade” into two parts: Customs Control and Fiscal Policy. According to him, Kazakhstan leads among the countries of the region including China in terms of customs control. The rating “International Trade” includes transportation, transshipment, shipment, package and obtaining other licensing document. In his opinion, transshipment, shipment, obtaining licensing documents for shipment and hours underway take more time than customs clearance procedures.