A Bureau meeting chaired by Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev took place today. Deputies set the agenda for the Chamber's meeting scheduled for February 19.
Opening the Senate Bureau meeting, Maulen Ashimbayev noted that the constitutional changes being implemented in the country are a logical continuation of the reforms being implemented at the initiative of the Head of State. This historic step, in its significance and scale, is a response to public demand for further strengthening the principles of a just state, where the government bears genuine responsibility and the law stands above all else. In this regard, he emphasized the importance of consolidating common efforts around the upcoming referendum, including through the work of the National Coalition "For the People's Constitution of a Fair and Progressive Kazakhstan."
"The large-scale reforms initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev have found their logical continuation in the constitutional reforms." To inform the public about the constitutional changes, a National Coalition has been formed, uniting key socio-political institutions. A number of our fellow senators have already joined the coalition, and next week all senators will be traveling to the regions. "In this regard, in the coming period, priority attention must be given to large-scale informational and explanatory work on the provisions of the draft new Basic Law," the Speaker of the Chamber said, addressing the deputies.
Furthermore, members of the Senate Bureau decided to consider the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan Concerning Support of the Tourism Industry and Children's Sports" at the Chamber's upcoming meeting on Thursday. The goal is to implement state priorities for economic diversification, developing domestic and inbound tourism, strengthening human capital, and increasing the accessibility of sports for children and adolescents.
The law amends and supplements 13 laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These amendments include the mandatory annual audit of the financial statements of the single operator for the distribution of extra-budgetary funds in the sports sector. The document also clarifies the competence of the authorized body to determine requirements for tourism products, the amount of subsidies for inbound tour operators, and the partial reimbursement of business entities' costs during the construction and reconstruction of tourist accommodations and visitor centers.
The agenda also includes the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Implementation of Renewable Energy Projects." The document provides for the consolidation of the parties' efforts on climate change through the joint implementation of renewable energy projects and the implementation of sustainable development principles in Kazakhstan.
The agreement provides for the construction of wind and solar power plants. The implementation of these major projects will cover the Karaganda, Turkestan, and Pavlodar regions. Each of the major projects involves the creation of integrated infrastructure for energy generation and storage. The term of the power purchase agreement for the major projects is 25 years.
At the upcoming meeting of the Chamber, senators will also approve the composition of the joint commission of the Chambers of Parliament on the draft Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Amendments and Additions to the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan.'"
At the same time, during the Bureau meeting, deputies distributed laws previously adopted by the Majilis among the standing committees.
(Press Office of the Senate, 74-72-27. Photo by: N.Baibullin)
