Kazakh President: Energy officials' recklessness led to fuel crisis

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev admitted that recent fuel crisis in the country was solely due to reckless behavior of Kazakh energy officials, Kazinform reports. 

Nazarbayev said on national television that there had been no fundamental causes to the September-October fuel crisis in the country, it was a reckless misstep of energy officials.

"We repair oil refineries every year and halt all operations due to repair works. Usually, we are always ready [to fuel shortages]. We make the decision on repairs in May and accumulate resources by fall. This year it has not been done," the President told journalists.

But, according to the Head of State, Kazakhstan's major challenge is the lack of its own resources.

"Kazakhstan grappled with fuel shortages and had to import fuel from Russia. From now on, after reconstruction of all three oil refineries, we will fully cover Kazakhstan's fuel needs. Moreover, we will be able to export up to 1 million tons of fuel. Even its quality will change," Nazarbayev noted.

The Kazakh President stressed that the fuel crisis should not repeat itself.