News

Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC (Directorate) responds to the key issues raised during the last meeting of the Public Council on 23 August 2024 regarding the implementation of the Comfortable School project.

Comparison of Comfortable Schools with Binom Schools

In response to a request from the public, a comparative analysis of the cost and technical characteristics of the Comfortable School project schools and Binom schools for 2,000 pupils was conducted. The main parameters included total cost, quality of materials, equipment and design solutions. For example, the cost of the Binom school for 2,000 seats was KZT 10,766.749 million (at 2021-2023 prices), while the construction of a Comfort School with similar capacity costs KZT 500 million less - KZT 10,280.718 million (at 2024-2025 prices).

The total area of the Comfort School for 2000 seats is 20396,50 square metres, whereas Binom has 22413,33, and the construction volume of the former is 117032,00, while the latter is smaller and makes 86578,44. If the comfortable school has a separate assembly hall for 450 seats with all the necessary technical equipment, the assembly hall at Binom is combined with a gymnasium. Comfort schools with 2000 seats have two large and one small gymnasium each, while Binom has one gymnasium each. The canteen in a comfort school is larger and has two separate entrances for upper and lower grades, and also has a STEM-lab, a sensory room, an inclusive education support room and equipment for bio- and nanotechnology lessons. The composition of the medical block in comfort schools is divided into a doctor's office, a treatment room and a filter room with a separate exit to the street, which is not provided in Binom schools. Recreation areas for children in Comfort schools are divided by age categories, in Binom - united.

Question about certification of furniture suppliers

In response to the request of NPP Atameken about the presence of industrial and ST-KZ certificates of 11 furniture suppliers, Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC will analyse and request clarifications from general contractors who have concluded contracts with these companies. In case of violations, if furniture companies do not meet certification requirements and are not included in the register of commodity producers of Samruk-Kazyna JSC and Atameken NPP, contractual sanctions will be applied. This includes the possibility of collecting a penalty of 10% of the contract amount and the inclusion of companies in the list of unreliable suppliers.

Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC strictly adheres to the Government Resolution No. 963 dated 30 November 2022, which regulates purchases only from domestic manufacturers included in the relevant register.

Furniture and child safety requirements

The Association of Furniture and Woodworking Industry of RK expressed concern about the safety of furniture installed in schools. The Directorate informs that on the basis of the norms of equipment and furniture for pre-school and secondary education organisations, as well as special education organisations, approved by the order of the Minister of Education and Science of the RK dated 22 January 2016 (№ 70), the Ministry of Education of the RK has developed and submitted a list of technological equipment and furniture for ‘Comfortable Schools’.

Design and estimate documentation in terms of equipping school classrooms is made in accordance with this list of technological equipment. According to this list, there are no requirements for furniture colour and the tables are only height-adjustable.

At the same time, the Directorate has analysed the existing normative acts in terms of school equipment.

Taking into account the existing normative acts:

1. Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 5 August 2021, No. KR DSM-76 ‘On Approval of Sanitary Rules “Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Educational Facilities”;
2. Order of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan from January 22, 2016 № 70 ‘On approval of the norms of equipment and furniture of pre-school, secondary education, as well as special education organisations’;
3. Code of Rules RK 3.02-111-2012 ‘General educational institutions’;
4. Code of Rules RK 3.02-107-2014 ‘Public buildings and structures’, there are no requirements for the colour of furniture and the angle of inclination of the table.

According to the RRC Government Decree No. 1684 of 30 December 2011 ‘On Approval of Sanitary Rules “Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Facilities for Upbringing and Education of Children and Adolescents” the requirements for the colour of furniture are as follows: ‘...Desks, tables, cabinets should be the colour of natural wood or light green’. However, this document became invalid by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 754 dated 8 September 2015.

Regarding the seizure of furniture samples for examination, we inform that according to the concluded contract for the execution of complex works on a turnkey basis, the contractor is obliged to ensure the safety of the object, including furniture, technological, educational and engineering equipment, until the signing of the acceptance act of the object between the contractor and the Customer (JSC ‘Samruk-Kazyna Construction’). Subsequently, the Customer shall transfer the object to the communal property (MIO). The contractor is liable for breach of contractual terms, therefore, his consent is required to remove the furniture.

At the same time, the Directorate is ready to provide the necessary assistance within its authority in case there is a need for such expertise.

Acceleration of furniture design approval in Shardar

At the request of the Guild of Furniture Manufacturers of RK we inform that the interior design is approved by ‘Samruk-Kazyna Construction’ JSC and is not subject to review in RSE ‘Gosexpertiza’. For the school in Shardar the design and estimate documentation and design project have already been approved, and explanatory work has been carried out with the general contractor ‘Integra Construction KZ’ LLP and stakeholders.

We would like to note separately that all issues related to the turnkey construction of schools are regulated by the contracts for comprehensive design and construction works concluded between the Directorate and contracting organisations. The contracts clearly stipulate the deadlines for the fulfilment of all stages of work.

Thus, clause 5.1.7 of the contract states that the contracting organisation is obliged to conclude contracts for the supply of furniture, educational, engineering and interactive equipment with software within 30 working days after receiving a positive conclusion of a comprehensive non-departmental expert examination of the project documentation. Confirmation of payment must be provided. In case of failure to meet the deadlines, for example, in case of delayed delivery of furniture, penalties of 0.1 per cent of the total contract value for each day of delay are applied. Such a case occurred in relation to the contractor K.G.S.SAudA LLP, responsible for the construction of schools in Talapker and Karaotkel villages of Akmola region.

Thus, the Directorate carefully monitors fulfilment of contractual obligations by contractors, including timely procurement of furniture in accordance with the established requirements.

Quality of cable products

Quality control of supplied cable products is carried out within the framework of expertise of RSE ‘Gosexpertiza’. In addition, technical supervision conducts regular inspections and reports, which are uploaded to the e-Qurylys information system.

Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC continues to work on improving the quality and safety of construction, as well as maintaining an open dialogue with all stakeholders.