WEEKLY REVIEW. President visits Almaty region. State Commission for Modernization of Kazakhstan's Economy holds a sitting.

The President heard the reports on the macroeconomic situation in the country, encouragement of foreign investments inflow, control over external loans, activity of pension funds, and development of Kazakhstan's stock market. The reports on balance of payments, operations with capital and finance, lending market situation, control over inflation were also made. According to G. Marchenko, the results of the Tenge devaluation were also discussed. "Time showed that the course was chosen correctly. The state has enough reserves to implement it", he said.

To survey the progress of implementation of his Address to the Nation in the region was another purpose of the trip of the President. As it was reported, twenty seven new facilities will have been commissioned in the region by the end of the year; 18 thousand people will be employed. Roads, hospitals and schools are being repaired and built within the Road Map. Four new hospitals of Almaty region will be available due to the "100 Schools, 100 Hospitals" program. "As you can see, the Road Map program is being carried through in every rural area", the Head of the State said. Besides, double cropping will be harvested in the region. The farmers of the region will receive 1 mln tons of grain this year.  

One of the important projects which envisages opening of the second frontier point on the border with China is the construction of Zhetygen-Khorgos railway line was officially launched by the President. The length of the line is 298 km. The construction will continue for 45 months till 2012. The cost is KZT 147.4 billion. The railroad is being constructed within the state program "30 Corporate Leaders of Kazakhstan". When accomplished, the project will allow to increase the volumes of cargo transportation. 5,500 people will be involved into the construction works. Another 2,093 jobs will be created in the period of operation and maintenance.

Tuesday Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Yenbekshikazakh district of Almaty region to survey the work of show seed-trial ground of Budan Retail Cooperative. Founder of Budan Marat Sarsenov demonstrated the facilities of the elite seed-production farm where corn and soy cross-breed are cultivated. The soil specialists work on seed production received from parental forms during implementation of the joint long-term program with Zemund Pole Corn Production Institute. 11 corn cross-breeds have been released up to the present moment and the rest ones are under the state. Besides, double cropping will be harvested in the region. The farmers of the region will receive 1 mln tons of grain this year.  

August 4 an enlarged session of the State Commission for Modernization of Kazakhstan's Economy was held under the chairmanship of Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov. Heads of the state bodies, "Samruk Kazyna" National Welfare Fund" JSC, "KazAgro" National Holding, national companies, development institutes, regional akimats and initiators of the investment projects within the Program of forced industrial-innovative development of the country took part in the session.  The participants of the session were briefed on the status and process of realization of investment projects, proposed for inclusion into the Kazakhstan Industrialization Map, start of construction or commissioning of which are planned in the period from December 2009 by July 2010. Kazakh Prime Minister charged the heads of corresponding state bodies, national holdings together with representatives of business to take measures on effective disbursement of the allocated funds and acceleration of launching and putting into operation of the investment projects within the industrialization of the Kazakh economy.

Another sitting of the Government this week was devoted to interim reports of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health. In his 2007 Address to the Nation "New Kazakhstan in a New World" the President instructed the Government to build 100 schools and 100 hospitals within three year in the regions of Kazakhstan where the need for new educational and healthcare facilities is essential. At the end of the trip to Almaty region the Head of the State met with the staff of a new maternity hospital in Yessik town, where he addressed with an important message to increase birth rate in order to improve the demographic situation in Kazakhstan. In whole the project "100 Schools, 100 Hospitals" envisages construction of 106 schools for 86,300 sits. 48 schools have already been put into operation. 36 more schools will be built the end of 2009. The project also envisages construction of 103 hospitals (99 local, 4 republican). 7 local healthcare facilities were commission last year. 17 more are expected to be finished this year. Implementation of the project initiated by the President of Kazakhstan is constantly monitored by the Government. At the sitting of the Government Minister of Education and Science Zhanseit Tuimebayev informed that at present the project realization is impeded by a serious problem of untimely utilization of budget funds, which results from slow pace of construction works. He noted that due to rising construction costs the Ministry needed additional financing. In his turn Minister of Healthcare Zhaksylyk Doskaliyev informed that some regions failed to develop construction documents on 12 facilities. Upon the results of the sitting Prime Minister Karim Massimov did not supported the idea of allocation of additional funds. He fixed the control date - August 17 telephone conference - when the reasons of all problems concerning the project should be cleared up and removed.

These days thousands secondary school graduates are waiting for the results of state scholarship contest. According to Director of the Department for Development Strategy of the Ministry of Education and Science Serik Irsaliyev,  64 000 out of 106 000 secondary school graduates qualify for the state educational grants in 2009. In addition, 11 000 out of 33 000 secondary school graduates of past years who did not participate in the complex testing are taking part in a contest for state grants this year. As for this year graduates, about 60% of them showed good knowledge and can claim the grants. He also added that Altyn Belgi (Gold Medal) holders and winners of international Olympiads will be among the first to be awarded with the educational grants. Besides, the Government allocated 11 thousand additional grants to support students in the crisis this year. Ten thousand grants have been already awarded upon the results of the mid-term exams. It means that ten thousand excellent and senior students are freed from fee and will receive scholarships. As Mr. Irsaliyev noted that "there are two thousand grants more that will be awarded after competition. Such support for students in time of crisis is important".