President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree, «On
Measures to Further Improve the Public Administration System,» establishing the
Agency for Atomic Energy. The new body will assume the functions and powers of
the Ministry of Energy related to uranium mining, the use of atomic energy,
public radiation safety, and the creation and operation of the Semipalatinsk
Nuclear Safety Zone. It will report directly to the President. Notably, Tokayev
announced the agency’s creation at the fourth meeting of the National Kurultai.
According to Zhakyp Khairushev, the managing director of the Atameken National
Chamber of Entrepreneurs and an honored power engineer of Kazakhstan, this move
highlights the government's commitment to building an independent energy
system.
«In other countries, similar agencies are typically created
for large-scale projects. Firstly, this simplifies interaction with
international organizations, as every nuclear power plant is built under the
close supervision of the IAEA. Secondly, it also streamlines cooperation with
investors during both the design and construction phases, as there will be a
single agency directly subordinate to the President,» Khairushev said.
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