Zhumabai Karagaev
Deputy Minister of Energy Zhumabai Karagayev has been dismissed from his post in Kazakhstan. This is reported with reference to the government decree Tengrinews.kz .
In August 2021, the official threatened to deprive the European Union of Kazakh oil and redirect the export of hydrocarbons to China. He linked this decision with the introduction of a carbon tax in Europe, which, in his opinion, will have a negative impact on the oil and gas sector of Kazakhstan.
On January 14, Kazakh political scientist Yerbol Yedilov, citing sources, reported that Karagayev was detained along with other persons involved in the unjustified increase in prices for liquefied gas in the Mangystau region.
The change of senior officials in Kazakhstan takes place after protests that began at the beginning of the year due to a twofold rise in the price of liquefied gas from 60 to 120 tenge (from 10 to 20 rubles). In the country, it is often used as an automobile fuel. By the evening of January 5, the demonstrations escalated into clashes with law enforcement officers. The protesters seized administrative buildings and premises with weapons.
Against this background, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposed a state of emergency in the country and announced the beginning of an anti-terrorist operation. He also dismissed the government and removed Nursultan Nazarbayev from the post of head of the Security Council of Kazakhstan. The press secretary of the former president said that Nazarbayev himself decided to transfer the post to the current head of the republic.
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