GOVERNMENT: Kazakhstan strengthens control over public procurement, develops national drug formulary and plans to build 4th oil refinery

On Monday, July 27, First Deputy Minister of Energy Uzakbai Karabalin assured that the price for gasoline would not rise in the nearest future in Kazakhstan. This is issue is getting even more relevant taking into account the upcoming harvesting campaign.

"30% of all petrochemicals, gasoline and diesel fuel in particular, we import from Russia. These are no indications of any price rises for these products in the nearest future," U. Karabalin said answerign journalists' questions.

As earlier reported, the recent price increase in this market occurred in May of this year. Thus, RON 92 petrol was sold for 99 tenge per liter and the prices increased to 108 tenge per liter.

Besides, it is believed that Kazakhstan will face a deficit of diesel fuel after 2023. In this regard, U. Karabalin stressed the necessity of construction of the 4th oil refinery.

He also noted that after reconstruction of three oil refineries and the launch of a new oil refinery, there will be no deficit in fuel in the internal market of Kazakhstan.

He also touched upon the issue of geological exploration. According to him, Kazakhstan has a great potential in his sphere. He informed that a group of scientists of Kazakh Institute of Oil and Gas implemented a unique project titled "Assessment of prospects of oil and gas content sedimentary basins". The project has been recently completed and the project was initiated by "KazMunaiGas" JSC and the committee of geology of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan. "As a result, the project showed that the resources and deposits that were found could help to increase what the country possesses in this sphere three times," U. Karabalin said.

Deputy head of the committee of protection of children's rights of the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Manshuk Abdikarim informed that there were 1626 rural localities in Kazakhstan that did not have schools. Over 30 thousand people of school age are living there.

"We ask local administrations to provide school buses and reliable drivers that can carry the responsibility for the children to transfer them to school in nearby villages. The routes and documentation on this process should have already been developed by this time," she added.

Kazakhstan also plans to strengthen control over the public procurement sphere, Deputy Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan Ruslan Beketayev informed. He said that there would be ensured daily control over each participant taking part in a tender.

According to him, the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan studied best foreign practices. "There is corruption in this sphere all over the world, but we have to work on eliminating corruption from our public procurement sphere," he added.

Besides, Kazakhstan has become a member of the WTO. Minister of Economic Integration of Kazakhstan Zhanar Aitzhanova commenting on the event told that it would not affect the volume of state support rendered to farmers.

Moreover, it should be noted that the national drug formulary is being developed in Kazakhstan. It will allow to ensure availability of effective medications for all the people.

On Thursday, July 30, the Ministry of Energy of Energy of Kazakhstan introduced a ban on export of oil products beyond the borders of the EEU.