Speaking at the latest meeting of the Kurultai in the resort town of Borovoye on March 14, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved of the current fiscal reform, dismissed any further conversation about the time zone merger, and attacked international NGOs.
Tokayev said that the social nature of the state will remain, despite the upcoming increase of VAT. He added that the government will have to collect more tax and reduce wasteful expenses.
After Kazakhstan’s two time zones were merged last year, popular dissent has grown – to the point that some are considering joining together into a party – but the government’s own research did not highlight any adverse effect from the time change. Tokayev dismissed any criticism and said the issue “should not be politicized” further.
Speaking about the recent actions from the US administration, Tokayev argued that international NGOs “have grossly interfered in [countries’] internal affairs.” According to him, they did so by promoting “so-called democratic moral values, including LGBT.” Tokayev added that Trump’s policies need to be supported and called for a review of the domestic legislation on NGOs.
Electricity prices are poised to increase by 1-2% from next month, according to the grid operator KEGOC. The decision is connected to increased expenditure, after major works of renovation of the network.
Zhanel Shakhan and Akmaral Dzhakibayeva, two activists linked to the youth movement Oyan, Qazaqstan! were briefly detained on March 8, fined, and later released. They were accused of having staged a protest by placing life-size cardboard figures representing their fellow activists who had been recently under pressure for staging unsanctioned protests.
Kazakhstan again exceeded the oil production quota it had pledged to a group of exporting countries, the OPEC+ group said on March 12 referencing its February report. Days earlier, the country pledged to reduce output in March, April, and May to compensate for past excess volumes.
A court of arbitration in Geneva ruled in favour of the major oil companies that make up NCOC, the consortium exploiting the Kashagan field, Bloomberg reported on March 7. While the ruling does not constitute a settlement, the court told the government not to collect a $5 billion fine it had imposed on NCOC, until it made a final decision. The dispute is also linked to a larger, $160 billion claim that the government lodged in later 2023.
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