Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASTANA860
2007-04-05 08:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN: PRIME MINISTER ESTABLISHES CTR VAT
how-toVZCZCXRO5769 PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTA #0860 0950843 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 050843Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8995 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 0113 RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY 0019 RUEAADN/DTRA DULLES WASH DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASTANA 000860
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA),SCA/RA (A. CUMMINGS)
SECDEF FOR ATSD/NCB/CD/TR AND ASD/ISP/TSP/CP/CTR
DTRA FOR BYRD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRIME MINISTER ESTABLISHES CTR VAT
COMMISSION
UNCLAS ASTANA 000860
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA),SCA/RA (A. CUMMINGS)
SECDEF FOR ATSD/NCB/CD/TR AND ASD/ISP/TSP/CP/CTR
DTRA FOR BYRD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRIME MINISTER ESTABLISHES CTR VAT
COMMISSION
1. (SBU) On April 3, Prime Minister Masimov issued a decree
establishing an interagency commission to review Cooperative
Threat Reduction (CTR) value-added tax (VAT) exemption claims
for subcontractors. The commission met quickly for the first
time on April 4 to establish its working procedures and to
perform an initial review of two Biological Threat Reduction
(BTR) subcontracts, on which no decision was reached. The
commission will meet again on April 12, when Finance Minister
Korzhova returns from a business trip, to make a decision on
the five subcontract packages submitted by the Embassy, as
well as on one other subcontract not submitted through
Embassy channels for work at the Semipalatinsk Test Site.
2. (SBU) Comment: Creation of the commission was a crucial
step forward, and a major accomplishment for the sclerotic
Kazakhstani bureaucracy. There is much work to be before the
April 15 deadline, however. To build upon the momentum
created by the commision's establishment, we have requested
meetings for the Ambassador with Prime Minister Masimov,
Foreign Minister Tazhin, and Deputy Head of Presidential
Administration Shkolnik in order to push for a prompt and
final resolution. End comment.
ORDWAY
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA),SCA/RA (A. CUMMINGS)
SECDEF FOR ATSD/NCB/CD/TR AND ASD/ISP/TSP/CP/CTR
DTRA FOR BYRD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRIME MINISTER ESTABLISHES CTR VAT
COMMISSION
1. (SBU) On April 3, Prime Minister Masimov issued a decree
establishing an interagency commission to review Cooperative
Threat Reduction (CTR) value-added tax (VAT) exemption claims
for subcontractors. The commission met quickly for the first
time on April 4 to establish its working procedures and to
perform an initial review of two Biological Threat Reduction
(BTR) subcontracts, on which no decision was reached. The
commission will meet again on April 12, when Finance Minister
Korzhova returns from a business trip, to make a decision on
the five subcontract packages submitted by the Embassy, as
well as on one other subcontract not submitted through
Embassy channels for work at the Semipalatinsk Test Site.
2. (SBU) Comment: Creation of the commission was a crucial
step forward, and a major accomplishment for the sclerotic
Kazakhstani bureaucracy. There is much work to be before the
April 15 deadline, however. To build upon the momentum
created by the commision's establishment, we have requested
meetings for the Ambassador with Prime Minister Masimov,
Foreign Minister Tazhin, and Deputy Head of Presidential
Administration Shkolnik in order to push for a prompt and
final resolution. End comment.
ORDWAY