Deputies of the Mazhilis from the «Ak Zhol» faction are asking for a review and termination of agreements concluded by akimats with investors for the construction of waste incineration plants. According to the deputies, local authorities violated the law by signing contracts directly, without holding mandatory auctions.
According to Vlast.kz, deputy Yerlan Barlybayev submitted a request to the government. He noted that under the pretext of implementing «green economy» projects, dubious contracts are being concluded with certain companies in the regions, which are granted special conditions — land, tariffs, and guaranteed purchases.
According to him, the Environmental Code and the Law «On Renewable Energy Sources» require the implementation of such projects only through auctions. However, in practice, akimats sign agreements directly and independently set a tariff of 7,000 tenge per tonne of waste — without public discussions or expert calculations.
At the same time, Barlybayev reported that some contracts fix the electricity price at 55 tenge per kilowatt-hour, which contradicts the norms of the Environmental Code.
«Legitimate questions arise: on what basis do such companies receive priority? Do they meet the qualification requirements, which explicitly state the presence of at least five completed facilities and eight years of operational experience in the field of energy recovery from waste?» – the deputy inquired.
The «Ak Zhol» party believes that the mechanism for paying for waste processing through an additional tariff is flawed and creates risks for the population.
«Energy recovery plants should accept waste at a zero tariff, and their profit should be formed solely from the electricity generated. Otherwise, the state itself creates an incentive for the growth of unauthorised landfills, and the population risks facing an increase in utility tariffs,» the deputy emphasised.
The parliamentarians demanded that the Ministry of Energy exclude from the draft law «On Supporting Renewable Energy Sources» the provisions that allow concluding direct agreements with investors without holding auctions. They also called on the Ministry of Ecology to withdraw the submitted amendments to the Environmental Code, which provide for similar exceptions.