WEEKLY REVIEW. All industrial sectors started 2013 with positive indicators - Prime Minister Akhmetov

At the beginning of this week, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan Asset Issekeshev announced that production of Toyota cars in Kazakhstan will be launched in spring 2014. The Toyota cars will be produced at the facilities of LLP "Sary-Arka Autoprom" in Kostanay. It is planned to produce up to 3000 cars per year.

At a Monday board meeting of the Kazakh Ministry of Justice, its head Berik Imashev announced the Ministry is going to toughen the penalties for evading execution of judgments, in particular, for the debtors, up to criminal liability. "We have developed the bill, the concept of which is to reclassify non-enforcement of court decisions as a serious crime. We believe that this is one of the major and conceptual errors, which has been in our legislation. Now the bill is in the Parliament," B.Imashev said.

On Tuesday, February 12, the Government of Kazakhstan approved the new agro-industrial complex development for 2013-2020. Agriculture Minister Asylzhan Mamytbekov said the program is to focus on four key areas: financial restructuring, promoting goods, works and services availability for agro-industrial entities, development of the state supporting system for agro-industrial entities and enhancing effectiveness of the state regulation systems of the agro-industrial complex. He noted the implementation of the program will require more than KZT 3 trillion.

On Wednesday, February 13, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov checked the technical equipment of the police and forensic services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Akhmetov was shown special purpose equipment and vehicles, a mobile field engineer complex, a communication system, a workplace of the operational control center, and mobile crime labs. In addition, Serik Akhmetov visited genomics and physical and chemical laboratories equipped with the latest equipment, including a biological recording system and a genetic analyzer.

The same day, Kazakh Minister of Environmental Protection Nurlan Kapparov took part in the Fourth EU-Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water in Bishkek.

Kapparov told about the progress of developing the strategy of Kazakhstan's transition to "green" economy and highlighted the country's efforts to improve people's health and living standards.

In this regard, he drew the audience's attention to the possibilities of expanding cooperation through the program "Green Bridge". The Minister said "the Green Bridge is a practical mechanism to create conditions for a transition to "green" economy, carried out through the transfer of advanced technologies and best practices of environmental management, open to all interested parties, countries and organizations. Kapparov noted that implementation of "green" projects in the Aral Sea basin were among the priorities of the "Green Bridge" Program.

On Thursday, February 14, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov visited a number of cultural facilities in Astana and got acquainted with the implementation of the President's instructions on the development of the capital of Kazakhstan. Akhmetov visited the State Opera and Ballet Theater "Astana Opera". He also inspected the construction of the building of the Fund and Library of the First President of Kazakhstan.

Vice Minister of Agriculture Muslim Umiryayev announced Thursday that a single grain holding would be established in Kazakhstan on the basis of JSC "Prodcorporation". According to him, the holding company will be created in the form of a consortium, which will include big grain producers and small agricultural producers.

The same day, Vice Prime Minister Asset Issekeshev visited the Karaganda Thermal Power Plant-3, where a major accident occurred on February 12. The accident left the city without power and heat for several hours. The cause of the accident was the icing of the switchyard insulators. Water caused short-circuit and led to the deployment of safety system. At the same day, the consequences of the plant breakdown were eliminated; power and heat supply was restored.

On Friday, February 15, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov briefed Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev on the preparations for the international specialized exhibition 'EXPO-2017' in Astana. The Premier said the Cabinet continuously monitors the preparations for the international exhibition.

In addition, Prime Minister Akhmetov informed the Kazakh Leader of the adoption of a new program of the agro-industrial complex development for 2013-2020 that is expected to boost competitiveness of the Kazakh agricultural sector and ensure food security in the country. In general, all industrial sectors of the country have started this year with positive indicators, he said.

Instructions on further stimulation of Kazakhstan's economic development were given by the Head of State at the end of the meeting.