From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 09:37:36 EDT
New Kazakh premier suggests diversifying oil-dominant economy
Text of report by Kazakh Khabar TV on 19 July
[Presenter] The Kazakh prime minister [Daniyal Akhmetov] has ended his
working visit to [western] Mangistau Region. Daniyal Akhmetov is
interested in the region from the point of view of developing the
infrastructure there. Preparations are being made for large-scale
development of oil fields in the Kazakh part of the Caspian Sea shelf.
The prime minister believes that the region should become a base to
ensure oil operations [in the shelf].
[Correspondent, over video of the sea, a visit, meetings, ships, an
interview] The programme for developing the shelf consists of three
parts. Preparations are being made now. The first tonne of oil will be
extracted in 2006. Structures which will ensure the normal work of the
oil sector - sea and air transport, the service sector, production of
material and equipment, technological research, etc, - should be built
by that time.
Daniyal Akhmetov did not approve the plan of measures for developing the
shelf at the latest sitting of the government because he believes the
plan did not pay enough attention to developing the infrastructure.
[Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov, captioned, interviewed] We have
to solve a very serious task: to assess how many vessels we shall need
and their quality and quantity to ensure marine [oil] operations. We
should also very seriously deal with the sea's oil infrastructure
facilities, i.e., we need very serious exact forecasts. We should
understand what resources are required to carry out these measures and
what should be done to make these measures efficient. The programme for
developing the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea cannot be developed
without this.
[Correspondent] The prime minister visited the settlement of Bautino and
the sea port of Aktau [the administrative centre of the region].
A special economic zone has been operating at the port [of Aktau] since
the beginning of 2003. Enterprises set up there are fully exempt from
property and land taxes. Corporate income tax has been reduced by 50 per
cent for them. Nevertheless, many believe that more tax relief should be
provided to ensure rapid development.
Three plants are being built in the special economic zone to produce
material for the oil sector.
[Daniyal Akhmetov] State revenue from the infrastructure and providing
services to the oil sector is as much as revenue from the oil sector
itself. That is why if we want to build a sustainable economy in
Kazakhstan, then we should, above all, deal with developing
infrastructure facilities, and maybe this should be developed more
quickly than the oil operations themselves.
[Correspondent] Following his meeting with businessmen who operate in
the zone, the prime minister said that the law on special economic zones
should be changed as early as this year to create more incentives for
investment in hi-tech industries and to make Mangistau Region a base to
ensure oil operations in the entire Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea.
Source: Khabar Television, Almaty, in Russian 1400 gmt 19 Jul 03
BBC Mon CAU 190703 /jl/nb
|
