National companies should be prohibited to transfer strategically important assets in competitive environment without permission of the government - head of economy ministry (with addition)

/INTERFAX, Astana, February 21, 06/ - Kairat Kelimbetov, Minister of economy and budget planning of Kazakhstan offers to introduce changes in legislation, which will not allow national companies to transfer strategically important assets in competitive environment without corresponding permission. "It is necessary to introduce changes in sectoral legislative acts, and also in the order of president about list of objects of state property, which are not liable to privatization. Particularly, specifically determine list of governmental and non-governmental assets, which have strategically important value (...), realization of which is not possible without corresponding decisions of the government", - K.Kelimbetov said, speaking on Tuesday in the meeting of the government. K.Kelimbetov also considers necessary to order committee of state property and privatization of Finance ministry jointly with state holding Samruk in transference of national companies' blocks of shares to the last to hold inventory with compulsory submission of united register. According to information of the minister, hold analyses of activity of companies Kazakhstan temir zholy (KTZh, national railroad carrier), KazMunaiGas (oil and gas company), Kazatomprom, KEGOC (National company on management of network), Kazpost, Kazakhtelecom, International airport Astana on alienation of non-profile assets said, that certifies "insufficient transparency". "Non-profile in structure (of national companies. - IF-K) are kept in structure, there are facts of realization of profile assets and so called washing out state property, transferred in payment of state blocks of shares, by creation of affiliated companies", - K.Kelimbetov said, adding, that thus the government looses control over further usage of state property. In this connection head of Economy ministry offered to elaborate sectoral program on management of state assets for 2006-2008, which would stipulate measures on further realization of autosorsing in national companies. Besides, within elaborated conception on management of state debt, in the opinion of K.Kelimbetov, it is necessary to stipulate mechanisms of control over policy of borrowings of national companies. Danial Akhmetov, prime minister on governmental meeting expressed consent with offers and ordered to take them in attention. "As a whole agree with offers (..), but problem of alienation of profile assets does not bear systematic character. There are one-two examples. And as a whole, I think, through mechanism creation of holding company Samruk this problem will be decided conceptually, - the prime stressed. At that the head of the government noted work on alienation of non-profile assets in KTZh, which has already transferred in competitive environment nearly 64 objects. "Over 64 auxiliary objects are in competitive market, corresponding companies are created and actively work. And here attempts to realize profile assets, fortunately, do not exist, and this is quite positive factor", - D.Akhmetov stressed. He also ordered national companies to speed up process of transference of non-profile assets. Particularly, KazMunaiGas was given order, "that all energy assets were realized on open and transparent trades, this concerns also Aktubink HS, and APK", the prime said. In the opinion of D.Akhmetov, at that it could be possible to attract in efficient order independent company, which would provide transparency of trades. After completion of the government meeting K.Kelimbetov informed reporters, that "in nearest time" Economy ministry "intends to generalize data about national companies, transferred strategic assets to affiliated, subsidiary structures, and to publish them". This list, particularly, in the opinion of the minister, may includ also state company KazTransGas. From state budget construction of gas pipelines of this company was financed, however now there is danger, that these assets in future will be transferred to the third persons", - K.Kelimbetov noted in this connection. [2006-02-21]