You did not explain anything to the people, Nigmatulin tells UAPF head
At the plenary session of the Majilis, during the discussion of amendments to the legislation on the regulation and development of the insurance market and the securities market, the speaker of the chamber Nurlan Nigmatulin was indignant that the chairman of the board of the United Accumulative Pension Fund Zhanat Kurmanov was not ready to answer questions from the deputies and recalled him situation with an increase in the threshold of sufficiency for the withdrawal of pension savings, Kazpravda.kz correspondent reports.
"Can you answer the question asked directly? How do you run the fund?! It is understandable why you closed your mouth for three weeks, could not explain anything to the people with the threshold of sufficiency, and also referred to the fact that the laws were written like that!" - the speaker of the Majilis was indignant.
"Zhanat Bostanovich, you need to prepare when you come here," Nurlan Nigmatulin added, addressing the head of the UAPF.
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Kazakhstan In 2024: Year in Review
Kazakhstan Today News Agency gives an overview of the major political, economic events, as well as those that caused a great public resonance in Kazakhstan this year.
Kazakhstan's Chairmanship In Key International Organizations
In 2024, Kazakhstan chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia, the Organization of Turkic States, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, and the Islamic Organization for Food Security.
Tokayev Accepts Government's Resignation
On February 5, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev fired his Cabinet after criticizing its performance. He accepted the resignation of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov.
According to the President, the government must play a new, important role in making prompt decisions and taking effective steps.
Olzhas Bektenov became new Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
Significant Earthquake Strikes Almaty Region
The residents of Almaty felt a 6.7 magnitude earthquake on the night of January 22-23. The strongest earthquake in recent years caused panic among many of its residents scurrying to safety outdoors. Dozens of people panicked because of a lack of notification and a delayed response by the authorities. Almost 70 people were injured during the earthquake. Later, a series of aftershocks were felt in the region.
Another significant earthquake jolted Almaty in early March. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 31 kilometers south of Almaty. To ensure the public’s safety, the authorities immediately activated a siren-sound signal and launched interception of television and radio channels.
Kazakhstan Switched to Single Time Zone
Kazakhstan switched to a single time zone from March 1, 2024, according to the amendments to the government resolution on the procedure for time computation in the country. Since then the entire territory of Kazakhstan belongs to the fifth time zone (UTC+5).
The cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent as well as the Akmola, Almaty, Zhambyl, Karagandy, Kostanai, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Turkistan, East Kazakhstan, Abai, Zhetisu and Ulytau regions turned back the local time by one hour.
Kazakhstan used two time zones, UTC+5 and UTC+6 before. Most of the territory, except for the western regions, lied within the UTC+6 zone.
Later, the majority of residents of Kazakhstan opposed the transfer of time. They posted a petition on the official platform for the return of the previous time zone. Citizens claimed that the decision to transfer the time affected their well-being.
Floods in Kazakhstan Became Largest Natural Disaster In Past 80 Years
Kazakhstan experienced unprecedented flooding this spring, which President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described as the worst disaster in over 80 years. Due to the floods, a local emergency situation was declared in ten regions of the country, namely in Abai, Akmola, Aktobe, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan and Ulytau regions.
In total, 224 settlements were affected by the floods in Kazakhstan, over 120,000 people were rescued and evacuated, including 45,000 children. The national army was deployed on rescue and aid missions across the regions. Thousands of Kazakhstanis lost their property and were left without a source of income. In addition, the agricultural sector was damaged.
Former Kazakh Minister Gets 24 years In Prison For Brutal Murder Of Wife
A former economy minister of Kazakhstan Kuandyk Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison for brutally beating his common-law wife to death in early November, 2023.
On May 13, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, 44, was found guilty of the torture and murder of 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova by the court. His trial has been followed by millions and shone a spotlight on the country's domestic violence problem.
In April, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev enacted new law which strengthens protections for women and children by criminalizing domestic violence, introducing tougher penalties for crimes against children, and addressing bullying, among other provisions.
Kazakhstan In The Fight Against Locusts
For several years, the hot and dry summer months in Kazakhstan have been accompanied by locust invasions. Back in May Kazakh Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov announced the locust plague control measures countrywide, allocating for these purposes 8.1 billion tenge.
Over 3.1 million hectares of land have been treated against locusts, 23% more than the planned 2.5 million hectares.
Paris Olympics Final Medal Count: Kazakh Athletes Win Seven Medals
The 2024 Paris Olympics concluded on Aug. 11 with the traditional closing ceremony, during which Paris handed over Games hosting to Los Angeles for 2028.
Kazakhstan’s olympic team took 43rd place in the medal standings, winning 1 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals. The sole gold medal was won by judoka Yeldos Smetov. Silver medals were awarded to gymnast Nariman Kurbanov, Greco-Roman wrestler Demeu Zhadrayev, and boxer Nurbek Oralbay.
Bronze medals were claimed by shooters Aleksandra Le and Islam Satpayev, as well as boxer Nazym Kyzaibai and judoka Gusman Kyrgyzbayev.
Eighty athletes, including 54 debutants, represented Kazakhstan in 25 sports.
Kazakhstan Votes In Favour Of First Nuclear Power Plant Construction
Over 70% of Kazakh citizens voted in favor of building the country’s first nuclear power plant during a referendum in October. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the construction and operation of the plant should be carried out by an international consortium. The nuclear power plant is planned to be built in the village of Ulken, Almaty Region, on the shore of Lake Balkhash and put in operation by 2035.
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Almaty’s high-mountain ice rink Medeu to be upgraded
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Akim of Almaty city Yerbolat Dossayev evaluated the condition of the high-mountain ice rink Medeu given the increasing number of tourists, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The akim highlighted the appeal of Medeu as a destination for residents, guests, and tourists in Almaty at the press briefing of the Central Communications Service. Since the beginning of the year, it has already attracted 400,000 visitors.
Following the growth in visitor numbers last year, we conducted an audit of the technical condition of the skating rink. It confirmed that the rink can operate in routine mode. In addition, the concept for the modernization of the central stadium has already been approved, and we are now starting to design the project. The engineering and other parts of the project, such as the creation of ice, have already been upgraded. However, the engineering infrastructure of Medeu still requires upgrading," he said.
The audit results confirmed that the rink is reliable.
In order to facilitate visitor convenience, online cameras were installed to provide information regarding optimal times to visit based on load and weather conditions. The rink opened on November 2, attracting a considerable number of young people and students. However, the influx of visitors has since diminished. Now, the rink is accessible for skating on any weekday, with the exception of weekends, when it is closed due to prevention measures. Medeu continues to serve as a source of pride and a symbol of Almaty," Dossayev added.
It is worth mentioning that bus №12, which operates between Almaty and Medeu, experiences significant overcrowding on weekends and holidays. Passengers are unable to secure sufficient seating, resulting in overcrowded conditions and congestion. In such instances, individuals frequently opt to wait for the next run. Videos of overcrowded cabins have been documented on social media platforms.
The Almaty City Mobility Department previously indicated that the operational hours of the route have been extended from 11:35 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on weekdays and from 11:00 p.m. to 1:35 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
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12 flights delayed in Astana due to bad weather
Astana International Airport announced the delay of several flights due to monster wind pounding the Kazakh capital, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Earlier this morning, 6 out of 80 departing flights and 6 out of 82 arriving flights have been delayed.
The following outbound flights have been delayed:
- FZ1304 Astana - Dubai
- TK357 Astana - Istanbul
- IQ353 Astana - Atyrau
- IQ437 Astana - Petropavlovsk
- KC7365 Astana - Oral
- DV479 Astana - Sanya
Four flights have been delayed due to unfavorable weather conditions in Astana.
The following inbound flights have been delayed:
- KC621 Almaty - Astana
- KC7316 Kyzylorda - Astana
- DV742 Aktau - Astana
- IQ354 Almaty - Astana
- KC7366 Oral - Astana
- IQ353 Almaty - Astana
One can find details about the status of flights and possible changes in the schedule on the official website of the Astana International Airport www.nn-airport.kz or contact a 24-hour call-center 8 (7172) 702-999.
Flight operations at the Astana International Airport have been disrupted due to adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and snowstorms since November 6.
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Over 40 kulans transported to Ile-Balkhash Reserve to restore species' population
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The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has successfully completed the next stage of the kulan reintroduction as part of the Turan tiger habitat restoration initiative. This month, more than 40 kulans were transported from Altyn Emel National Park to the Ile-Balkhash Reserve. In 2022, as part of this initiative, the first 60 kulans were relocated and successfully adapted to their new environment, Kazinform News Agency cites the UNDP Kazakhstan press service.
The kulan disappeared from Kazakhstan in the 1930s. To restore the population of this species, a long-term reintroduction project was implemented in several stages. Between 1953 and 1961, 14 kulans were transported to Barsa-Kelmes Island from the Badkhyz Nature Reserve in Turkmenistan. When their population on the island reached 200, the next stage-moving them to the mainland-began. This is how the kulans ended up in Altyn Emel National Park, where the restored population has become one of the most successful cases in the world regarding the reintroduction of wild odd-toed ungulates and currently represents the largest free-ranging population of kulans.
Today, in South Balkhash, the initiative to reintroduce the Turan tiger is being implemented within the territory of the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve. In this context, extensive efforts are being made to create its food base, including the kulan reintroduction. The project is being implemented by UNDP and the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. As part of the project, in 2022, 60 kulans were transported.
The reintroduction of kulans from Altyn Emel State National Park to the Ile-Balkhash and Altyn Dala reserves is another step in the efforts of the Committee for the Conservation and Restoration of Biodiversity. The clear implementation of all scheduled action plans for the reintroduction of rare animal species, along with the support of our partners-UNDP and the Kazakhstan Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity-creates a robust basis for future environmental initiatives and the country’s achievements in restoring the ecosystem and returning lost biodiversity," noted Daniyar Turgambayev, Chairman of the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Reintroduction is not only a process of transportation but also involves diligent post-relocation care and monitoring of the animals. The Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve aims to provide care and feeding for the transported kulans for the next six months before they are released into the wild. In addition, as part of this initiative, three kulans were tagged with telemetry to further study their behavior in the wild.
We are proud that Kazakhstan is becoming an example of successful reintroduction of species on the brink of extinction. It requires joint efforts and accountability from all participants in the process, and we are pleased to cooperate with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan to achieve our common goal-restoration and conservation of the country's unique biological diversity," said Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.
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