During a session in the Majilis, Deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek questioned the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, about why the National Seismic Monitoring Center in Almaty falls under the Ministry of Emergency Situations, rather than under the Ministry of Science, as suggested by seismologists and scientists.
Sayasat Nurbek explained that certain institutions were indeed transferred to sectoral ministries in the past, hence the Seismology Institute currently being under the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Unfortunately, the center lacks sufficient funding due to its sectoral financing, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education lacks the tools to intervene in their activities. Minister Nurbek expressed willingness to have the center return under their authority.
He mentioned plans to allocate around 3.5 billion tenge in grants to the institute this year. On March 4th, another strong earthquake struck Almaty, with residents feeling tremors measuring 5 on the Richter scale.
