BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5
Trend:
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed to introduce state regulation of prices for liquefied gas, gasoline and diesel for a period of 180 days, Trend reports on Jan. 5.
Acting Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov held a meeting on the implementation of the president’s instructions.
Smailov instructed to follow up the comprehensive plan for the development of the gas industry and accelerate the state expertise of the feasibility study for the construction of a plant for the production of liquefied gas in the Mangistau region.
Besides, he instructed to work out the current rules of organizing and conducting auctions for liquefied gas, postpone for a year the full transition to the sale of liquefied gas through an online trading platform.
Relevant government agencies were instructed to investigate price collusion and other anti-competitive actions in the sale of liquefied gas; update the comprehensive plans for the development of Mangistau, Atyrau, Aktobe and West Kazakhstan regions.
The acting prime minister also instructed to adopt an appropriate normative act on the introduction of state regulation of prices for liquefied gas, gasoline and diesel for a period of 180 days.
Government agencies were instructed to take the necessary measures to introduce a mechanism for state regulation of prices for socially significant food products.
The ministries of industry and infrastructural development, national economy, labor and social protection of the population, together with the regional administrations, were instructed to work out the issue of subsidizing rent for secondary housing for socially vulnerable segments of the population and submit proposals to the government.
The Finance Ministry, together with interested government agencies, was instructed to develop a bill "On bankruptcy of individuals".
The ministries of health, education and science have been instructed to ensure the creation of a public fund "People of Kazakhstan" to solve the problems of healthcare and children.
"The head of state instructed to urgently take the above measures to stabilize the socio-economic situation," stressed Smailov.
Kazakhstan's government announced late Jan. 4 that it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas, after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year.
Many Kazakhs have converted their cars to run on LPG, which is far cheaper than gasoline as a vehicle fuel in Kazakhstan because of price caps. But the government argued that the low price was unsustainable and lifted the caps on Jan. 1.
After the price of the fuel spiked, big demonstrations erupted on Jan. 2 in certain parts of the country. Public protests are illegal in the country unless their organizers file a notice in advance.