WEEKLY REVIEW. Possible price changes on commodity markets taken into account to set up Kazakhstan's development scenarios

On Tuesday, May 31, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Kairat Kelimbetov presented the visual map of implementation of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev's instructions. The map includes seven main directions: food safety, services for citizens, international cooperation and integration, acceleration of diversification, post-crisis development, investment in the future, development of public administration system.

"We have posted the map on the website of the Government, and received all comments and proposals from ministries and departments," Kelimbetov noted.

During the sitting of the Government Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Assylkhan Mamytbekov said the sowing campaign was 84.3 percent completed. In total, it is about 13.5 mln ha in the country.

First Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and New Technologies Albert Rau told that Kazakhstan intends to limit the import of electricity from Kyrgyzstan.

"Fulfillment of investment obligations depends on the volume of electricity sales. However, we need to restrict the import of electricity from Kyrgyzstan within those volumes, which were stipulated in the talks with the Government of Kyrgyzstan," Albert Rau noted.

The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies specified the amount of electricity - 1 billion megawatts. More than 700 million has been delivered to Kazakhstan so far.

The same day Prime Minister Karim Massimov gave instructions to hold a meeting on planting of greenery in Astana and Akmola region.

These instructions were given within the preparations for the meeting with the Head of State. Massimov urged First Vice Premier Umirzak Shukeyev together with the Mayor of Astana and the Ministry of Agriculture to hold a meeting on landscaping of Astana and Akmola region and then report on the work done.

On Wednesday, June 1, the Kazakh Premier held a telephone conversation with Chairman of the Russian Government Vladimir Putin.

The parties considered a number of issues on development of bilateral trade-economic relations as well as functioning of the Customs Union and formation of the Single Economic Space.

Then Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov chaired a session of the Council for Economic Policy.

The Council members discussed the development of various scenarios of the country's socio-economic development, taking into account possible changes in the price situation on world commodity markets.

The participants of the session reviewed the current situation in the pension system of the country and priorities for its further development.

The issues of oil and gas sector development, the inflationary tendencies in the country were on agenda as well.

Due to completion of implementation of the anti-crisis program the Council members considered the issues of transferring the anti-crisis tools to the Government.

The same day Karim Massimov held a meeting with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of the World Bank. The parties discussed development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the World Bank. They also touched upon the issues of interaction in the construction of the international transit corridor "Western Europe - Western China".

The next day as part of his official visit to Kazakhstan Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala familiarized herself with the progress of implementation of "Western Europe - Western China" project in Kyzylorda region.

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev and Vice Minister of Transport and Communications Azat Bekturov visited the region together with Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The issues regarding the progress of implementation of the project, the results achieved, road management, road safety and development of roadside service, institutional reform program and prospects for further cooperation between the Government of Kazakhstan and the World Bank in the transport sector were discussed during the visit.

The length of "Western Europe - Western China" corridor on the territory of Kazakhstan is 2,787 km. 2,452 km of roads are subject to reconstruction. The total cost of the project is KZT 825 billion.

On Friday, June 3, Prime Minister Karim Massimov met with Managing Director of the Chevron Eurasia Business Unit in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey Scott E. Davis.

The parties discussed bilateral interaction within the development of Kazakhstani oil deposits as well as the Corporation's participation in oil and gas infrastructure projects.

The Prime Minister also held a regular sitting of the State Commission on Economy Modernization on Friday.

The attendees considered the progress of implementation of big investment projects under the program of accelerated industrial innovative development. The issues regarding the completion of home construction, financing of projects within the framework of the housing construction program were discussed as well.