OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2013. Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov has held a session of the Government, which approved the program "Employment Road Map 2020" and the issues of regulation in the field of greenhouse gas emissions.

Opening the session, the Prime Minister said that the new Employment Road Map 2020, which was developed on the instruction of the Head of State, contained crisis response measures to ensure economic growth and employment.

Acting minister of labor and social protection Tamara Duissenova told about the program and the mechanisms for its implementation.

According to her, "57.6 billion tenge was allocated to provide employment through the development of infrastructure and public utilities. It is planned to create 22.5 thousand jobs."

The second direction is aimed at providing employment through the development of rural entrepreneurship, comprehensive development of villages. "There have been defined 11 main villages in six regions of Kazakhstan - East-Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, Akmola, Atyrau, Almaty and Karaganda," the acting minister noted.

In relation to microcredit support, Duissenova said that "the size of a microcredit per private farm in the village will increase to 5 million tenge. Interest rate for the final borrower will not exceed 6%. Entrepreneurship Development Fund "Damu" will provide services on subsidizing interest rates on loans issued to second-tier banks and through leasing contracts."

With regard to employment through training and relocation, Duissenova emphasized that the emphasis was placed "on the division of responsibilities between the state, employers, educational institutions and participants in the program. At that only those educational institutions that practice the principle of dual instruction will be able to provide training for the unemployed."

In addition, "the program will extend an employment contract for social jobs from 1 to 1.5 years, and for youth practice from 6 to 12 months."

23.4 billion tenge will be allocated to realize the third direction of the program, which will cover 90.1 thousand people.

"In total, 110.6 billion tenge is planned to be given for the implementation of measures of the Employment Road Map 2020 with account of co-financing from local executive authorities; 124 thousand citizens of the country will be involved in the program," Duissenova noted.

Summarizing the discussion, the Prime Minister noted that this document is, in fact, the anti-crisis program of the Government in the field of employment.

"Starting today, the Ministry of Labor must begin active implementation of the Employment Road Map," Akhmetov said. Addressing the governors of the regions, the Prime Minister stressed that "people should have a clear understanding and knowledge of the opportunities provided by the Employment Road Map."

Serik Akhmetov instructed Deputy Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev to conduct a national seminar-workshop on the implementation of the program on June 21 in East Kazakhstan region.
The Head of the Cabinet drew attention to the effective use of funds of the Employment Road Map and urged government agencies and the governors of the regions to report on the program implementation." This, according to Akhmetov, "will allow to more accurately assess the state agencies’ efforts on implementation of the program."

Minister of Environmental Protection Nurlan Kapparov reported on preliminary results of the national system of cap and trade, which was launched on January 1, 2013. According to him, this year emissions quotas were issued to 178 companies with a total of 147 million tons of carbon dioxide. The basic quota sectors are electricity and heat production, coal mining, oil and gas industry.

General Director of Kazakhstan Association of Oil/Gas and Energy Sector Organizations "KAZENERGY" A.Magauov delivered his report at the Government session.

Summing up the implementation of the national plan on allocation of quotas for greenhouse gas emissions for 2013, the Prime Minister said it is necessary to improve the legislative framework, to develop a national plan of quotas allocation for 2014-2015.

In view of the comments and suggestions made, Serik Akhmetov instructed the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with other concerned government agencies, associations, within two months submit to the Government proposals to improve the legislation regulating emissions of greenhouse gases. It is also necessary to develop the national plan of quotas allocation for 2014-2015 and submit it to the Government until September 1, 2013.

Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Yerbolat Dossayev announced the preliminary results of the socio-economic development for five months of this year. Minister of Agriculture Assylzhan Mamytbekov reported on the spring sowing campaign.