Tag Archives: Kazakhstan

New labour laws anger Kazakh workers’ unions

JUNE 10 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Kazakh government presented new rules for workers which reduces their rights and forces unions to re-register with a government institution, a move which could damage relations between labour groups and companies.

Tamara Duysenova, the minister for health and social development, presented the bill at the National Congress of Trade Unions in Astana.

“The new provisions are in line with the spirit of the Law On Trade Unions approved last year,” she said.

The Unions disagree. Lyudmila Ekzarkhova, an official at the Confederation of Free Trade Unions, said: “These measures would put independent unions under the thumb of a government- appointed body.”

Opposition groups have criticised the measures which free employers from paying overtime work and cut benefits for injured workers.

The new law will also force independent trade unions to re-register under the state- controlled Federation of Trade Unions. Strikes called by unregistered trade unions will be illegal.

Relations between big companies and workers in Kazakhstan are already delicate.

Ever since oil workers went on strike in the town of Zhanaozen in the west of the country in 2011, a strike which triggered a riot and then a street battle with police that killed at least 15 people, workers’ rights in Kazakhstan have been strained.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)

Kazakhstan competes talks with WTO

JUNE 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – After 20 years of negotiations, Kazakhstan has completed talks with the World Trade Organisation and should join the group by the end of the year. The WTO said that although there had been issues around Kazakhstan’s bilateral agreements and its membership of the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union, a deal had been struck.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)

Kazakhstan wants to target inflation

JUNE 5 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Oleg Smolyakov, deputy chairman of Kazakhstan’s Central Bank, said a change of monetary policy to target inflation instead of a stable exchange rate would not be possible within the next couple of years, the first sign of a row back on the high- profile strategy.

The potential row-back will disappoint businesses and international observers who have urged the Kazakh Central Bank to allow its tenge currency to float more freely.

“We believe that we cannot afford switching to inflation targeting within a time range of one to two years,” media quoted Mr Smolyakov as saying.

This is a departure from the bullish declaration by Central Bank chief Kairat Kelimbetov who said Kazakhstan would liberalise its currency market.

According to Mr Smolyakov, Kazakhstan needs more tools to switch from the current currency corridor to targeting inflation. A sharp fall in the value of the Russian rouble since last summer has pressured currencies and economies across the region.

Also, seemingly eager to smooth public concerns over a volatile currency, Mr Smolyakov said the Kazakh tenge would remain stable with oil prices over $50 per barrel.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)

Kazakhstan to produce defence kit

JUNE 9 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – A Kazakh agricultural equipment manufacturer is in negotiations with a Turkish company to buy the licence to manufacture its armoured vehicles. Kazakhstan has previously said that it wants to improve and strengthen its defence sector manufacturing base.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 235, published on June 11 2015)

Kazakh President said: China fears unfounded

MAY 31 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – In an interview with TV channel Russia-24, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev said fears that China has excessive influence over Kazakhstan were unfounded. Mr Nazarbayev also said Kazakhstan and China were about to sign more bilateral deals. China has extended its foothold across Central Asia in the last decade.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

Kazakhstan to boost petrol production

JUNE 3 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan plans to produce the higher grade AI-92 and AI-95 petrol at a refinery in the north of the country, media reported quoting the Kazakh Development Bank. Kazakhstan has a shortage of refined oil products.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

Kazakhstan looks for Caspian Sea oil partners

JUNE 1 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Seemingly undeterred by the fall in global oil prices over the past 12 months, Kazakhstan announced a new project to explore the Caspian Sea for more oil and gas deposits that it may be able to tap into.

Vladimir Shkolnik, Kazakhstan’s energy minister was talking to the Kazakh parliament when he made the announcement.

“Based on studies by international experts, the Caspian Depression is estimated to hold giant hydrocarbon reserves of some 60 billion tonnes of oil. This is why we are starting to implement the Eurasia project with the use of innovative geological technologies,” he said.

“Five of the world’s leading oil and gas companies have displayed interest in this project and we are now forming a consortium.”

If, though, Mr Shkolnik was high on grand gestures, he was weaker on the detail.

Mr Shkolnik may have said that five international companies were looking at joining the Kazakh government in a consortium, but he didn’t say which ones. Currently, with oil prices hovering per barrel, down from around $100 in the summer, exploring the Caspian Sea may not be an enticing prospect.

And there is also the small matter of Kashagan too. Kazakhstan and its partners have poured billions of dollars into this Caspian Sea oil field and yet it is still to produce significant quantities of oil.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

Kazakhstan to accept low-enriched uranium

JUNE 1 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan will start to take shipments of low-grade enriched uranium from 2017, Timur Zhantikin, an official in the Kazakh energy ministry said, two years after original hoped-for start date.

Uranium has been an important part of Kazakhstan’s post-Soviet story. When it became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan inherited a batch of nuclear weapons. Rather than selling them, abandoning them or hoarding them, Kazakhstan turned the nuclear weapons over to the US to be deposed of safely, winning plaudits around the world.

Since then, eager to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has promoted Kazakhstan as a leader in nuclear-disarmament.

Now it has struck a deal with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world’s nuclear watchdog, to host a bank of low grade enriched uranium.

Countries can apply for enriched uranium if projects have been approved for peaceful purposes.

The two year delay in setting up the nuclear bank is only a minor nuisance. It should still be a boon to Kazakhstan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

EBRD gives loan for Kazakhstan’s Air Astana

DEC. 3 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it had lent Kazakhstan’s flagship airline Air Astana $14m for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility. The new facility will be built at Astana International Airport. Air Astana is the region’s biggest airline. Britain’s BAE Systems owns a 49% stake. Samruk-Kazyna owns 51%.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 260, published on Dec. 11 2015)

Kazakhstan building new Caspian Sea terminal

JUNE 3 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national railway company, is building a new ferry terminal on the Caspian Sea, media reported.The terminal, at Kuryk south of Aktau, should be operational by December 2016 and highlights Kazakhstan’s drive to boost its trade across the Caspian Sea.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)