BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20
Trend:
Support measures for deferrals and write-offs of loans won’t cover the recent riots’ participants, Alexander Terentyev, director of the financial services consumers’ rights protection department of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Market, said, Trend reports.
Terentyev made the remark during a briefing at the Kazakh Central Communications Service.
“All issues on writing off or providing additional assistance will be addressed individually. If a person took an active part and was recognized by law enforcement agencies, court as guilty of the riots, of course, these support measures will not apply to them,” he explained.
Terentyev said the lists of servicemen and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already been worked out.
“We’re also working together with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, lists of civilians who weren’t involved in the illegal actions, and on them the same measures will be taken as are provided for military personnel and internal affairs officers,” added Terentyev.
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.
Following the development of the situation, the government declared a state of emergency all over the country. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the government initiated anti-terrorist operations to deal with the ongoing riots.
Also, the divisions of the united peacekeeping contingent of CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) arrived in Kazakhstan to assist in restoring order and help protect strategic objects of the country.