Hot disputes arise between the geologists and Chief Operating Officer of KAZRC Saule Urazayeva during the conference “Scientific and HR Support for Mining and Metallurgical Sector Innovative Development”, recently held in Almaty and dedicated to the international CRIRSCO standards, being introduced in Kazakhstan.
Disputes reached their peak after the report of Mrs.Urazayeva, in which she highlighted the necessity of transition to the CRIRSCO standards. Chief Operating Officer of KAZRC noted that our companies should prepare the reports according to the international rights, in order to attract the investments. She said that the CRIRSCO standards would help the MMS enterprises to enter the commodity market and to receive the required funds.
Non-standard opinion But many participants of the conference agreed that the transition to CRIRSCO will bring the benefits for the industry. «Why would we bring everything to the general «bazar»? Unlimited sale of resources can lead to a threat to the national security», – said Abdrakhman Begalinov, Professor of KazNTU named after K.I. Satpayev.
According to him, the state should have its own ideological MMS development program, and the people of Kazakhstan would create their products within its frameworks, while using the natural resources of our country. Other conference participants agreed with this statement. The experts believe that the transition to the international standards will result in the redundancy of the local specialists. They say that the qualified mining specialists are already losing their jobs and the foreign experts will replace them. Mr.Begalinov noted that the former experts of foreign companies, the direct competitors to our companies, hold top positions in Kazakhstan’s mining industry. He believes that such managers would never do the unbiased contractors selection. In addition, the foreigners initially put a foreign component into the procurement documents. As a result, the foreign companies are often awarded with a contract. The scientist warns that the international standards could turn up the heat. «American and Australian colleagues, working at the deposits in Kazakhstan, demand us to sign for a membership in the international organizations and to know a foreign language. If it continues this way, we would remain at the service staff level», – Mr.Begalinov expressed his worries. Chief Operating Officer of KAZRC had to literally fight back the attacks of the science representatives. Mrs.Urazaeva explained that the new standard is 100% Kazakhstani one, and it had been brought in line with the international requirements only. «We do everything for the companies of Kazakhstan. If a domestic company has no money, its founders are not forced to take a bank loan with the interests. They can address the stock exchange, as the companies in the civilized world do», – she explained to the audience. Mrs.Urazaeva reminded the participants that the mining business is at a high risk. All surface deposits have been explored, natural resources are hidden deeply and the new deposits require the modern equipment, technologies and specialists to extract them. The finances are required for it, and they could be obtained through the transition to the CRIRSCO. In addition, the international standards give a better picture of available reserves. «25 years have passed since the creation of the SRC reserve estimation system. All this time, we reported that Kazakhstan is the first in the world according to these indicators. But in fact, we mean resources, not reserves. Transition to the international standards will clear the vision of our government», – states the Chief Operating Officer of KAZRC. As to the geological exploration policy, according to Mrs.Urazayeva, the issue will be resolved with the Code On Subsoils and Subsoil Use. She said that the new law would allow the professionals to earn. Therefore, no place will remain for the speculators.