Kazakhstan : New Oil Companies in Zhanaozen
Friday 30 December 2011By Colin Stevens
A new oil-drilling company will soon be opened within Kazakhstan to create jobs for the inhabitants of the little town of Zhanaozen which is recovering after the outbreak of violence that started after the clashes between striking workers of ‘KazMunayGas’ and police during the celebration of independence day.
With the recent appointment of Layzzat Kiinov as a chief executive of the ‘KazMunayGas’ national company and Alik Aidarbayev as a director of the 'KazMunasGas Exploration & Production company' President Nursultan Nazarbayev expects to improve the effectiveness of management, allowing a breakthrough in finding lasting solutions for protracted labour dispute.
At present the government is engaged in a thorough examination of the actions of the management of the company preceding the fatal outbreak; with a view to further the specific proposals on larger reform of the company management system.
“We are determined to create new jobs for workers,” - said Mr.Aidarbayev.- “All kind of ‘optimizations’ of costs lead to ignoring the elementary needs in the company: there was not sufficient education for the management, previously foreseen in the budget. There should be a code of conduct for the manager. We admit that there was not sufficient dialog” .
In addition to the survey on the reasons that caused profound dissatisfaction among the ‘Ozenmunaigaz’ workers there are steps to create jobs without delay.
“The new drilling company will be opened next to ‘Ozenmunaigaz’ within a year and employ everyone with the salary, equivalent to the previous one, there will be also possibilities to acquire new qualifications,” a diplomatic source in Brussels confirmed to the EU Reporter.
“According to our president the dispute escalated because the‘Ozenmunaigaz’ company was subordinate to ‘KazMunayGas’ so it wasn’t authorised to resolve the conflict. The reforms of the management system are on the way. With the opening of a new company there will be enough work for everyone in town”.
“There is the Business Road Map 2020 Programme with 750 projects worth 240 billion (more than one billion euro) , - said Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the EU Yerik Utembayev to EU Reporter when commenting on the situation around new venture in Zhanaozen. – “Problems of the Mangistau region will be solved soon within this big framework”.