Premier Tours Kazakh West to Study Food Prices Situation

Excerpt from report by Kazakh TV on 23 November

[Presenter] Prime Minister Karim Masimov paid a working visit to West Kazakhstan Region today. The prime minister attended a ceremony to begin the construction of the Karashyganak-Aksay-Ural gas pipeline. The 149-kilometre pipe will deliver natural gas [from the Karashyganak gas field] to Syrym, Karatobe and Terekti districts on the right bank of the River Ural. Karim Masimov also attended a ceremony to open the KazTrubProm, the first Kazakh plant specializing in the production of pumps and pipes, located in Ural [the administrative centre of the region]. The plant will produce 40,000 tonnes of pipes a year. Products of the plant will be used in the oil and gas industries. A total of 25m dollars were invested into the project.

[Passage omitted: the prime minister visited the regional hospital]

Thereafter Karim Masimov stopped by a shop in the city [of Uralsk] to see food prices there.

[Karim Masimov, captioned] I am satisfied with food prices in the city. The situation with food prices here is stable as in other Kazakh cities. Sufficient food reserves have also been created in the region. Generally speaking, this is a very serious issue. The problem of food prices was discussed at a meeting in Asgabat yesterday [22 November]. The prime ministers from the CIS states were briefed on measures being taken in Kazakhstan to solve the food problem. Most of them said they would follow the model of Kazakhstan, because Kazakhstan had always been better than other CIS countries in resolving various issues.

Originally published by Kazakh Television first channel, Astana, in Kazakh 1400 23 Nov 07.

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