Friday, 18 April 2008
Several prominent human rights activists, heads of major human rights organizations, appealed to the population of Kyrgyzstan to prevent the planned energy sector privatization.
The Kyrgyz authorities and President Kurmanbek Bakiyev himself claim in the meantime that the state is the worst effective owner and that privatization of the energy sector will reduce losses, improve management, and better tax collection.
Authors of the appeal to the general public pin the blame on the so called energy barons whose ineptness and inadequacy has resulted in the existing state of affairs where privatization seems to be the only solution.
"We are told that the state is an ineffective owner. Forget it! It is energy barons who are incompetent, and we know them all," authors of the appeal claim without exposing the incompetents' names.
The human rights community suggests a state audit of the use of the credits given to the energy production sphere. Its activists maintain that more than $300 million worth of credits were poured into the energy production industry in the years of sovereignty.
Authors of the appeal to the population want to know what happened to the credits. They urge sympathizers to forward their demands to Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Government House, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 720003 (Fax: 996-312-21-86-27).
24.kg news agency reports in the meanwhile that the parliamentary Committee for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Small and Medium Businesses, Transport, Infrastructure, Construction, and Architecture seconded the idea of having the government adopt privatization programs all on its own and without consultations with lawmakers.
Tursun Turdumambetov, State Property Management Committee Chairman, persuaded lawmakers that the program in question does not need parliament's endorsement to be successful. "The committee I represent and all of the government answer to the Jogorku Kenesh. In other words, the parliament can demand a report from us any moment," he said.
Turdumambetov told journalists afterwards that no privatization program allowed for dallying. "Potential investors often walk away in disgust precisely because the endorsement procedures take so long," the official said. "The president in the meantime insists that speed in matters like that is in the interests of the country."
17.04.2008
Ferghana.ru |
Friday, 18 April 2008
Kyrgyzstan
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