Archive for April 14th, 2008
News Roundup - April 14, 2008
energy:
Bloomberg: Oil-rich Kazakhstan enacts crude export tax
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said a new tax on oil exports and a construction slowdown will allow the former Soviet republic to ride out the global credit crunch without tapping financial reserves…
New Europe: Kazakhstan oil export duty seen sooner rather than later
In its promises to toughen the tax burden for oil companies, the Kazakh government has moved from words to deeds. The Cabinet of Ministers in Astana voted unanimously for introduction of a customs duty on export of crude oil as early as in a month, not next year as had been intended before…
UPI: Analysis: India eyes Kazakh energy
India may be a relative latecomer in the rush for Caspian hydrocarbon riches, but its booming economy and stable democratic traditions make it an attractive market for Central Asian energy producers, particularly Kazakhstan…
Indian Vice President Ansari, on his first visit abroad, arrived in Kazakhstan after Turkmenistan. The Indian Vice – President was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed and MPs Viplove Thakur, Vijaykumar Rupani and N.N. Krishnadas…
Kazinform: Kazakhstani oil and gas in the spotlight – Atyrau oblast
OilTechKazakhstan 2008 technological conference on oil and gas has been held in Atyrau within the frame of Atyrau: Oil and Gas exhibition, Kazinform correspondent reports…
Kazinform: Caspian energy hub aiming to be oil training centre
Gulf Finance House (GFH), in collaboration with the Government of Kazakhstan and PFC Energy International, yesterday announced details of its plans for the latest project in its Energy City series…
mineral resources:
Guardian: Kazakh miners cool on Government tie-up hope
Kazakhstan wants to ease its dependence on oil revenues by boosting its mining clout through a tie-up of Kazakhmys and ENRC, but the companies’ strong-willed owners may not share the government’s vision…
Telegraph: ENRC given ultimatum on £20bn Kazakh mining deal
Eurasian Natural Resources, the diversified Kazakh miner, has been given a month to make a firm offer for copper miner Kazakhmys or walk away from a potential deal for six months, the Takeover Panel said today…
Reuters: Kazakh miner ENRC given Kazakhmys bid deadline
Kazakh mining group Eurasian Natural Resources must announce any intention to make an offer for Kazakh copper major Kazakhmys by 5.00 pm (1600 GMT) on May 16, the UK’s Takeover Panel said on Friday…
Times Online: ‘Cannon fodder’ men dying in mines of UK’s richest man
Since 2004 accidents in his Kazakh mines owned by his group have claimed 121 lives. Mounting concerns over poor safety have led Vladimir Bozhko, head of Kazakhstan’s ministry of emergencies, to warn that ArcelorMittal could be forced to close the Abaiskaya mine unless safety is improved…
business and investment:
Reuters: S&P on National Maritime Shipping Co. Kazmortransflot (JSC)
Standard & Poor’s Governance Services said today it assigned its corporate governance score (CGS) on the National Maritime Shipping Co. Kazmortransflot (JSC) (KMTF) at ‘CGS-4+’. KMTF is the only national maritime company in Kazakhstan…
Economic Times: Kazakh agriculture minister promises more grain
Kazakhstan plans to boost grain production by around 25 percent to 26 million tonnes by improving technology, new Kazakh Agriculture Minister Akylbek Kurishbaev said on Saturday…
Financial Times: Nations in secret deals over grain supplies
Cereals traders say India has held talks with Kazakhstan to secure a bilateral contract for wheat, after New Delhi was forced to import the grain in the past two years, but added that it was unclear if any deal had been signed…
Hemscott: Kazkommertsbank signs cooperation agreement with Russia’s Eximbank
JSC Kazkommertsbank said it has signed an agreement with Export-Import Bank of Russia (Eximbank) to develop a mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of financing and guaranteeing the supply of capital equipment from Russia to Kazakhstan…
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev thinks that the republic can overcome the effects of the global financial crisis without spending the monies accumulated by the National Fund…
RIA Novosti: Russia to use Baikonur space center until 2050 - Roscosmos
Russia will use the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan until 2050, the head of the Russian space agency said Saturday…
politics:
China and Kazakhstan agreed to strengthen extensive cooperation in the economic, energy, environment and cultural sectors, according to a joint communique released here on Saturday…
Pakistan Times: Pakistan, Kazakhstan discuss trade ties
President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim K.Massimov Saturday discussed bilateral, trade and economic ties, as they met here on the sidelines of the annual Boao Forum for Asia…
Since July 2007 there were 100 crime cases started on corruption charges against custom officers. It was informed today on the briefing by chief specialist of Committee of Custom control Daniyar Ospanov…
Interfax: General prosecutor’s office filed corruption lawsuits against 68 Nur Otan members
Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office filed 332 corruption-relates suits in February-March, 2008…
Interfax: Rakhat Aliev claims e-book “Godfather-in-Law” bogus
Rakhat Aliev, former son-in-law of Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbaev, has denied his involvement in writing the book “Godfather-in-Law” that has recently surfaced on the internet…
regional news:
World Bank: Eastern Europe, Central Asia face slower growth
World Bank officials today warned that the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and Central Asia face slower economic growth as a result of the economic downturn in the U.S. and Western Europe, and should step up their efforts to protect poor and vulnerable people from the effect of higher food and energy prices…
Kazakhstan’s direct investment in the Kyrgyz economy has been rapidly gaining pace since the early 2000s. Today Kazakhstan’s economic presence is felt throughout northern Kyrgyzstan, from banks to small businesses, cars with Kazakh plates and numerous tourists…
EurasiaNet: CIS countries among hardest hit in global financial crisis
The World Bank is warning that the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union could experience a slowdown in economic growth as a result of the downturns in financial markets in the United States and Western Europe…
In the meantime, Moscow, Brussels, and Washington are losing the Central Asian region to China. “Its military influence with the region secured by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Beijing is actively realizing energy projects in Central Asia,” Satpayev said…
