President Nazarbayev calls for energy-saving measures

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has urged the national Parliament to speed up passing a law to facilitate investments into the electric power industry, Novosti Kazakhstan reports. “Developing the power industry is about strengthening our independence. The Parliament is already considering a number of amendments into the applicable legislation”, President Nursultan Nazarbayev stated at the joint sitting of the two Parliament chambers September 1, opening the new session. He announced that the Government had prepared a draft law on energy saving. “I am asking the Government to submit the draft for the Parliament’s consideration within reasonably shortest time”, the President said. “During the recent talks on construction of the Balkhash thermal power plant, President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak told me that loss of power in Kazakhstan’s power grid makes up 20%, whereas in South Korea the figure only stands at 4%”, President Nazarbayev said, adding that “according to South Korea’s President, we could do without constructing a new power plant if we saved energy”. “We are losing a lot of electric power at obsolete industrial enterprises that lack energy-saving technology. First of all, Kazakhstan’s citizens haven’t been taught to save electric power, water and other resources”, the President expressed his indignation. “We have absolutely low tariffs as compared to those set by our neighboring states. We can no longer maintain the tariffs at this level. Otherwise we will be disadvantaged in comparison with the Customs Union states”. Head of State urged “to raise people’s awareness in terms of energy-saving measures”. According to him, “the new law will be a good incentive”.