At an urgent meeting on July 2, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov ordered the establishment of a government commission headed by Minister of Environmental Protection Nurlan Kapparov to study the environmental impact of the crash of Russia’s Proton-M rocket in the area adjacent to the territory of Baikonur cosmodrome. Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Bozhko and Chairman of the National Space Agency Talgat Mussabayev delivered reports. As Bozhko reported, the Proton-M rocket carrying three GLONASS navigation satellites blasted off from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. The vehicle crashed 10 seconds after takeoff, about two kilometres away from the launch site. According to preliminary data, the accident occurred because of first-stage engine failure. “Three Russian chemical protection stations have been deployed on the premises of Baikonur. They are taking measures to strengthen control over the environmental situation,” he said. “A simultaneous explosion of tanks with rocket fuel and oxygen took place as a result of the accident. According to experts, a simultaneous explosion of oxygen, heptyl and amyl provides their almost complete combustion and transformation into nitric oxide, which does not represent as big a threat to the life of the population as heptyl and amyl. Kazcosmos are constantly monitoring the environmental situation, conducting air [and] soil sampling,” Mussabayev said. Previously, in connection with the same incident, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to develop and provide a list of measures to strengthen the space industry. The prime minister instructed Rogozin to form a government commission to establish the causes of the crash and submit a list of those who bear responsibility.
Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov gave instructions to relevant ministries and agencies for the development of mass sports in the country. “I instruct the Agency of Sport and Physical Education to introduce in due time a draft law on physical culture and sport,” he said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 9. In addition, Akhmetov asked them, together, with the Ministry of Economy, to consider a programme of development of mass sports in the country and make appropriate proposals to the government by September, 2013. “I instruct the Ministry of Education to take measures to restore and open schools of physical training,” he said. The prime minister instructed regional governors to take measures for the development of mass sports and to ensure school gyms have sports equipment.
The Baiterek national holding has a goal of improving the efficiency of activities of financial institutions transferred to its jurisdiction, Chairman of the Board of the holding Kuandyk Bishimbayev said on July 5. “The main thing that distinguishes us from other national companies, in particular the Samruk Kazyna fund, is that 10 financial institutions were transferred to our jurisdiction. It allows to focus on one specific component and use different instruments available to the holding,” the head of the holding said. According to him, institutions such as Kazakhstan Development Bank, Zhilstroysberbank, Kazakhstan Mortgage Company, Kazyna Capital Management and the National Agency for Technological Development are under the structure of the holding. The head of the holding also noted that they plan to work on improving the efficiency of these development institutes. According to him, the main goal of the newly established holding is to ensure mobilisation of the resources of the SPAIID and provide projects with necessary resources.
On June 27, Tamara Duissenova was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov attended the opening ceremony of the construction commemorative plaque of the plant producing GEVO diesel locomotive engines in Astana. Speaking at the event, Akhmetov said that “at the initiative of the head of state under the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development, a new transport engineering industry has been created.” He continued, “I am sure the new plant will give further impetus to the development of industry, open new jobs [and] increase productivity.”
