OREANDA-NEWS. September 03, 2012. On the eve of the RoK Constitution Day and the new school year, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO) has announced the successful completion of several secondary schools in the Western Kazakhstan Oblast, reported the press-centre of KPO. 

As part of its social infrastructure development programme, KPO has constructed three new schools: one in Uralsk town and two schools in the remote villages of Aksuat in Akzhaik District and Ushagash in Karatobe District.  In addition, KPO has completed a major refurbishment of the secondary school in Uspenovka village in Burlin District.  The total KPO investments into these projects have exceeded USD16 million.

KPO General Director, Damiano RATTI, said, “We are proud that children of Western Kazakhstan will now be able to receive quality education in these modern schools.  Their construction was agreed with the WKO Akimat in accordance with the RoK State Programme “100 schools, 100 hospitals”.  All schools have been fully equipped with computer classes, are connected to Internet, and are being handed over on a turn-key basis.  We hope these new schools will help bring the standards of education in the region to a new level.

“KPO is committed to a sustainable future and allocates USD 20 million per annum for social infrastructure development in the region.  Operating as a responsible corporate citizen, KPO is working towards achieving sustained success to the benefit of the local communities and the Republic of Kazakhstan as a whole”, added Damiano RATTI.

As is known, the KPO social programme is primarily focused on health, education, culture and sporting facilities, according to the priorities set by the Western Kazakhstan Oblast authorities.  As a result of this partnership, a significant number of new schools and kindergartens have been constructed in the region, as well as hospitals, roads and public utilities.  All KPO social projects have been implemented using only Kazakh companies and vendors.

The school for 1200 pupils in Uralsk consists of five blocks, equipped with a lift, a canteen, an infirmary, a conference room, a gymnasium, an amenity block and a library.  The school has been fully furnished and equipped with all necessary equipment.  The construction was implemented by a local contractor Zhaikselstroy, LLP within one year.

Thanks to the new school for 230 pupils, the children of Aksuat village in Akzhaik District will now be able to receive same quality of secondary education as in a town.  KPO contracted a local Bolashak-T, LLP company to construct the school.

Uralskstroyinvest, LLP, has constructed the school for 108 pupils in Ushagash village of Karatobe District.  The two-storey school has classes, a gymnasium, conference room, canteen and a library.  The classrooms have been fully furnished and equipped to high standards.

Two other schools for 198 pupils in Koneketken village in Terekty District and Saikuduk village in Akzhaik District are currently nearing completion as part of the KPO social programme.

Over the recent years, KPO has also completed refurbishment of rural schools in Dimitrovo and Karachaganak villages.  In 2010, KPO donated new buses for six rural schools.

In addition to that, this year, KPO has sponsored summer holidays for more than 60 children from a number of Burlin District villages situated around the Karachaganak field.