Category Archives: Uncategorised

Mangistau soars in Kazakh wage earning table

>>Stats show increase in wages but illnesses also rise>>

JAN. 22 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — It’s a double-edged sword living in the west Kazakh region of Mangistau, according to the Kazakh stats office at least.

Mangistau, the main oil producing region of the country, has been enjoying a salary boom that other regions of Kazakhstan can only dream of. Last year the average workers’ salary in Mangistau rose by 22% to over $1,000/month. This is around 50% more than average salaries in other rural areas of the country.

Of course Mangistau’s fortunes are closely linked to the fortunes of the energy industry which has been enjoying something of a boom over the past few years. With falling oil prices, though, that could be about to change.

The stats don’t all show good news, though. Various statistics said Mangistau has the highest rate of several diseases in the country. Some environmentalists have said that people breathe and drink the by-products of uranium mining projects and the decommissioning of the old nuclear power plant in Aktau.

Worker disputes in the region also affect the region. In 2011, the town of Zhanaozen was the centre of clashes between protesters and police. At least 15 people died.

It’s a trade-off then. The salaries may be higher in Mangistau but the work pressures and the health risks are too.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Uzbek PM likely to retain job after election

JAN. 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — The lower house of Uzbekistan’s parliament approved the re-selection of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as an official PM candidate. Mr Mirziyoyev has been PM since 2003 and Uzbek analysts said it was highly likely that he would retain the job after the March presidential election.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Doping pressure mounts on Team Astana

>>Cycling team is closely linked to Kazakhstan>>

JAN. 27 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — The disgraced former cycling champion Lance Armstrong told the BBC in an interview that cycling, including Astana Pro Team, was riddled with doping.

Mr Armstrong, who had cycled for Astana Pro Team, said the sport’s governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), should ban Astana Pro Team. The UCI placed Astana Pro Team under probation in December after another case of doping emerged involving two team members.

The Astana Pro Team management has strongly denied the allegations of doping.
The whole row will be embarrassing, though, for Kazakh President Nazarbayev.

Samruk-Kazyna, the Kazakh investment fund, sponsors Astana Team Pro. The team wears the blue and yellow national colours and companies and teams carrying the Astana brand, the name Mr Nazarbayev gave to his new capital, are closely linked to Kazakh nationality.

On the same day that the BBC aired its interview with Mr Armstrong, the Astana Pro Team manager Alexander Vinokourov visited Mr Nazarbayev at the presidential palace in Astana, presenting him with a yellow jersey, symbol of last year’s victory in the Tour de France — the most prestigious bike ride in the world.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Armenia and Azerbaijan row over N-K

JAN. 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Azerbaijan accused Armenia of launching a raid across its borders, another escalation of tension between the two neighbours over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The two sides disagreed on the number of casualties.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Don’t devalue again -leading Kazakh businessman

JAN. 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Nurlan Smagulov, head of the Astana Motors car dealer and an influential businessman, stepped into the debate over the Kazakh tenge. At a press conference, he said policymakers should not devalue the currency for the second time as this would undermine its credibility and knock consumer spending.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Weak rule of law hurting Kazakhstan -think tank

JAN. 27 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Washington-based Heritage Foundation said that weak rule of law in Kazakhstan had supressed its position in its global rankings on economic freedom. In this year’s ranking, Kazakhstan dropped six places to 69th in the list of 178 countries.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 216, published on Jan. 28 2015)

Air Astana faces a difficult year, says CEO

JAN. 19 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Air Astana CEO Peter Foster
said 2015 would be a tough year because of economic and political
turmoil across the region. His comments highlight the uncertainty
that businesses are facing. Last year, Air Astana increased its
passenger traffic by 3%. Profit rose by 35% from 2013, mainly
because of a drop in oil price.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 215, published on Jan. 21 2015)

Corruption alleged in Uzbek telecoms

JAN. 17 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — An anonymous whistle-blower in Norway has alleged corruption at Vimpelcom, a telecoms company a third owned by Norwegian Telenor, media reported. Telenor and Vimpelcom deny the allegations. Uzbekistan’s telecoms sector is already mired in an alleged corruption case.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 215, published on Jan. 21 2015)

Another ex-Georgia minister joins Kiev government

>>Ukraine’s government has taken on a very Georgian face>>

JAN. 14 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — A third former Georgian minister has signed up to work for the anti-Russian government in Ukraine. This time Gia Getsadze, who held various high ranking positions under former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, is to become Ukraine’s deputy justice minister, media reported.

Mr Getsadze follows Georgia’s former healthcare minister Alexander Kvitashvili and former deputy interior minister Eka Zguladze to Kiev.

And this is important. Georgia’s relations with Russia have much improved since Mr Saakashvili left office in 2013 but these ties are still fragile.

What Georgia wants to avoid is the relatively new government in Kiev appearing heavily populated by Georgians. If it does, relations between Georgia and Russia could be damaged once again.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 215, published on Jan. 21 2015)

Georgia to sell Saakashvili-era tower

JAN. 15 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia’s government plans to sell the tallest building in the port of Batumi — a slender 35-storey white tower with a golden ferris wheel in one side. The tower had been earmarked as part of a new university and was seen as prestige project for the previous government of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 215, published on Jan. 21 2015)