NAC Kazatomprom and SKO's akimat have signed agreement about collaboration

/Kazakhstan today, February 5, 03/ - NAC Kazatomprom and akimat of South-Kazakhstan oblast have signed agreement about collaboration. The agreement comprises significant support from outside of Kazatomprom in the development of social sphere of Suzaksiy region of SKO, where NAC's enterprise are situated, in particular, mines department "Stepnoye" and "Tsentralnoye", informs a correspondent of KZ-today. According to the document, NSC Kazatomprom purchases 10 houses for ten poor families of the region and gives each family 75 th. tenge "for raising". Besides, NAC Kazatomprom takes a part of the region's roads on its balance. In Kyzymshek settlement, where mines department "Stepnoye" is situated there will be built a hospital in this year, solved the question of communication and sputnik television. At that, NAC Kazatomprom will go on investing money into social sphere of settlements Kyzymshak and Taukent. Speaking at the ceremony of the agreement signing president of the NAC Mukhtar Jakishev marked that by 2027 Kazatomprom will be the largest uranium extracting company in the world. Only in "Stepnoye" mines department there will be processed up to 8 th. tons of uranium a year. In order to develop branches there has been founded special scientific center already. There will be made railroad to Stepnoye mines department from Taukent, which's length will be 150 km, and which will cost from the company $38 m. Last year the mines department "Stepnoye" first broke Soviet record of uranium extraction, which in the year 1987 was 952 t, and extracted 1030 t. A total on two mines departments, which are situated in SKO, volume of uranium extraction in 2002 equaled to 1725 t, that is more by 30% than in 2001. In monetary terms production is estimated at KZT2.6 bn. A total NAC Kazatomprom has produced in 2003 production for more than $70 m. [2003-02-05]