The topic covered yesterday at the joint session of the State commission for economic modernization and a single Coordination council for enterprise issues, chaired by PM Karim Masimov was performance of the “Roadmap for business-2020” program, specifically the first 16 projects in its second direction.

The yesterday’s videoconference of RK government with the parliament’s deputies was chaired by PM Karim Masimov and considered topical issues raised by MPs in their deputy requests: the pace of the regional employment and retraining Strategy (“Roadmap-2010”), “Roadmap for business-2020”, the construction of social facilities in rural districts, roads, running water systems, restructuring of SMB debts, equity-holders’ problems.

It gives grounds to believe Kazakhstan economy is on the trajectory of sustainable development. Undertaken by the Government steps within the anti-crisis program and for building the foundation for post-crisis development proved fruitful, and the session tallying up socioeconomic development characteristics in six months of 2010 PM Karim Masimov said they inspire optimism.

In RK Agency for construction and housing-public utilities the 6-month performance was tallied up. As reported by the Agency’s executive secretary Salauat Dembai construction in the country is going on as slated by the State program for housing construction. In three years to come 19,3mn m2 of accommodation is to be ready, including 6,2mn m2 in the current year. According to the statistic Agency 136,6bn tenge has been channeled to the housing construction from all the funding sources, with over 22 thousand apartments commissioned.

Yesterday, on the eve of their professional holiday the minister for communications and information, Askar Zhumagaliyev congratulated telecom workers on the honorary title “Honored telecom worker” for exemplary service, excellent management, personal input in development of the branch given to 95 employees of “Kazakhtelecom”, Kazpochta (Kazakhstan ost), “Altel”, “Bitelecom” and other companies. Although telecom is traditionally deemed as a male domain, among the awarded were 13 women.

In 2020 each Kazakhstan citizen will be accessed to the central water supply network – this is a goal of the management department of the Agency for construction and housing and municipal utilities, according to its chairman Vasiliy Maslov. The present figure is 60%, the rest of the population will be serviced in the coming decade within “Drinking water” program.

Kazakhstan army of scientists numbering 16 000 has a chance to convert their innovative blueprints into a really marketable produce. The Center for engineering and technologies’ transfer of RK ministry of industry and new technologies is introducing new services – technological business-incubation to promote small and medium IT companies and projects. The government allocates 245mn tenge within the accelerated industrial-innovative development program (AIIDP) for the pilot program; by the year’s end at least 30 projects will be funded.

Ust-Kamenogorsk valve plant was awarded a certificate quality by the American Petroleum Institute (APA), which opens to them access to world markets.

The joint use of international water resources is a complicated and delicate issue requiring understanding and insight. Alike are the problems of the trans-boundary Irtysh River with grave hydro-economic and ecological consequences. How can they be averted? This was the topic of my interview with “Kazhydromet” scientists - Valeriy Lee, the head of the hydrologic research and estimates department, Cand.Sc. (Engineering) and Vsevolod Golubtsov, a senior research fellow of the department, an expert with Global ecological fund, Cand.Sc. (Geography).

At the initiative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Red Crescent Society of the Republic of Kazakhstan Astana hosted a campaign to promote the project "Network of the Red Crescent Societies in Central Asia on labor migration."

Alberto Contador’s third victory in “Tour de France” was marked not only in Spain, but also in Kazakhstan and those countries whose bicycle racers represented “Astana” team. This win was not easy for Contador, who said: "At times I had difficulty from a psychological and physical standpoint." But the tremendous backing from his fans helped him kiss the coveted cup in Paris.