Vice Minister for Investments and Development Kairbek Uskenbayev told how the problems with elevators will be solved in Kazakhstan.

Recall, September 11 at the regular meeting of the Government chaired by Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev, the draft law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of Kazakhstan on Housing and Communal Services" was approved. The law will give akimats additional powers for carrying out the repair of facades, roofs, increasing the stability of housing in flood zones, repair and replacement of elevators, and control in the gas sector.

As Uskenbayev noted at the briefing, local executive bodies will have to replace the lifts at the expense of the local budget, but on a return basis with subsequent compensation of expenses from residents.

In the department, he said, it was decided to follow two directions.

"The first way. At present, we have about 16 normative acts that regulate in one way or another, the activities of the elevator economy of operating organizations and so on. Together with the Association of the Lift Economy of Kazakhstan and the Atameken NCE we have created a working group and developed common standards that determine which elevators have the right to produce here, which ones — to be imported into the territory of Kazakhstan, how they should be maintained and operate. The entire mechanism from the delivery and production to its operation are prescribed in the standards," the vice minister explained.

According to him, these standards are submitted for public discussion and are on the website of the Committee for Technical Regulation. After receiving all the comments, the standards will be approved.

Then Uskenbayev explained how the second way will proceed.

"The second option. It is clear that we can do the normative, but the tenants of houses are not able to collect money at once and replace the elevators. For example, in a five-porch house it is necessary to replace five elevators at the same time. Say, on average, an elevator costs $50,000, and five — $250,000. Probably, it is unrealistic, to collect and replace elevators for our tenants. And to say that this year we will replace one elevator, and the next in five years, is also abnormal. All tenants equally should receive all services," the vice minister told.

That is why the new draft law on housing and communal services has expanded the powers of the akimats and they directly from the budgets have the right to finance the replacement of these elevators, followed, for example, from 8 to 15 years, by compensation, for example, 2,500 tenge per month. Astana thus replaced the lifts with reimbursement from 8 to 18 years.