A meeting of the Project Office for the National Project on the Modernization of the Utilities and Energy Sectors (MEX) was held at the Government under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev.
Participants reported on project financing, the implementation of instrumentation and digital solutions, including in pilot water supply projects. Currently, confirmed MEKS projects total 974 billion tenge. Thirty-four projects are in the implementation stage, and 130 are in the process of selecting EPC contractors. Another 145 projects are undergoing various stages of selection. A ranking of akimats’ involvement in the implementation of the National Project has been established. Almaty, Karaganda, and Almaty regions lead in terms of project readiness for launch. Among those lagging behind are Mangistau and Ulytau regions.
As part of the MEKS, construction and reconstruction of sewage treatment facilities continue: 16 projects are fully ready for implementation, while another 6 are in the final stages of refinement and awaiting final decisions by the akimats. The Baiterek Holding has reviewed over a thousand applications. In the second phase, 144 projects totaling over 300 billion tenge have been approved. Of these, 89 are funded through direct lending via the Development Bank of Kazakhstan and second-tier banks, while 55 are funded through the purchase of government securities by the Kazakhstan Housing Company.
Standards for metering devices have been developed to implement modern metering systems in the water supply sector. The documents are currently being registered with the Ministry of Justice. A MEX contact center (8 7172 99-94-36) has been opened to address questions regarding the operation of the Electronic Procurement Platform. Over 800 inquiries have been registered since its launch. The integration of the MEKS platform with the Bitrix system is nearing completion.
During the meeting, Kanat Bozumbayev emphasized that there are certain delays in the implementation of MEKS according to the approved schedule, although it contains specific parameters regarding network length, funding volumes, and regional distribution. Responsible government agencies have been assigned to each indicator. The Deputy Prime Minister demanded detailed information on the achievement of target indicators. In the event of delays, the personal accountability of officials will be considered.
Specifically, the Ministries of National Economy, Industry, and Construction, together with the Kazcenter for Housing and Utilities and the akimats, have been instructed to ensure that all tenders are published on the MEKS electronic platform by March 10 and that EPC contractors are fully registered, accompanied by a broad public awareness campaign. Regarding financing, akimats have been instructed to hold joint meetings with maslikhats as soon as possible and to expedite the procedures for issuing government securities. The Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with JSC “KZH,” is to provide project support as applications are received. JSC “NIKH ‘Baiterek’” must expedite the approval of financing for sewage treatment plant projects with the involvement of the World Bank by the end of the month. The project office has been instructed to respond promptly to all inquiries regarding the operation of the electronic platform and to provide technical and advisory support to MEKS participants at all stages of procurement.
Source: primeminister.kz
