CA-NEWS (KZ) - The government plans to inject twice as much funds as last year in the geological data acquisition in 2011. "Next year according to the budget program, allocations to the exploration operations will double. This year it was nearly 5 billion tenge, while next year it will be 10 billion tenge and 11 billion tenge in each subsequent year," First Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies, Albert Rau, said at a press briefing on Thursday in Astana. "We believe that's not enough, taking into account sufficient budget funds and confirmation of certain types of mineral resources deposited in some regions. Those regions with clear evidences of vast reserves need the investments in the first place," Rau said. He said that nearly 3 billion tenge out of 10 billion tenge will be allocated for exploration of water resources within the Drinking Water Program.
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